


Once Mated, Twice Loved

by ArielBowden



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 65,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielBowden/pseuds/ArielBowden
Summary: "Yes, I want this more than anything. I want to be with you both...forever."Bella Swan soon finds out that the love she believes in really can come true. Only when she draws the attention of not one, but two devastatingly attractive women does she think that maybe she's not stupid for thinking a person can love more than one person without that love losing value. (Poly V relationship between 3 women, see chapter 1 for notes)[I've been trying for regular updates but I hit a huge snag the last few months and writer's block has been kicking my ass.  That being said, for those on this site, I've got 9 chapters to post for this story around 60k+ words worth of story for you, I'll try to post a new chapter as often as I finish them.]
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Bella Swan, Alice Cullen/Rosalie Hale/Bella Swan, Rosalie Hale/Bella Swan
Comments: 13
Kudos: 180





	1. Chapter 1: The Vision

**AN: So, this is my first Twilight fic ever. I recently found myself trapped in the lesbian pairings for the fandom and they are currently holding me hostage without ransom. They are cruel taskmasters with little patience for things like 'normal sleep schedules' and 'you shouldn't be writing at work.' Seriously, someone save me (please don't, there's lesbians everywhere, woo!).**

**With that being said, I have come to this writing idea and this is the result. I will be taking several liberties with the canon story. Some things will be compliant, many things will not. I'll be sprinkling in several things into this first fic (because let's face it, I don't think I can just leave this fandom alone once I reach my desired 'ending' point). Most of the content for this fic will take place during Twilight, but I might dabble a bit into the other books/movies. For the sake of the fic, Bella is in her last year of High School, as are the Cullens.**

**Now, I haven't read the books in almost a decade (gods that makes me feel old), and I only just recently watched Twilight again to make sure I'm as close to canon-compliant as possible. If you see anything out of place, feel free to leave a review and let me know, but just know that it might be that way for a reason.**

**Bella and Rosalie are a bit ooc, but I like to think that the mate instincts overrule one's natural distrust, allowing for a pure and open exchange of love. This is going to be a** **polyamory** **fic with a V relationship with Bella being the center point. I won't be introducing anyone else into their relationship, but the ideology behind polyamory is a huge part of Bella's beliefs (and mine), as you'll soon find out.**

**Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy this fic. I'm sure as hell having a fun time writing it, let me tell you. I'll be cross-posting this onto fanfiction dot net as well, so if you're over there be sure and leave a like and fav. Anyways, I look forward to hearing what you all think of this story (yes, even the trolls, you feed my soul).**

**(For those wondering, yes, I'm still working on my other fics, I've just got a plot bunny hopping around in my head for this fic and I cannot leave it unattended. Plot bunnies are EVIL)**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyers, I'm just borrowing them to fulfill my gay little fantasies.**

** Alice **

_My body was moving of it's own accord. I knew the area like the back of my hand, and even if I didn't, the scent of my mate would have led the way for me. The house I came upon was two-storied and newly built, the smell of fresh paint and dry wall still lingering on the breeze._

_I could hear my mate's voice even from my position at the treeline surrounding the property. It struck a chord in my still heart, bringing warmth and love pulsing through me. Unable to stand still any longer, I rushed forward with all of my vampiric speed, slowing only to open the door without ripping it off its hinges._

_There she was, standing by the kitchen table while smiling at the room's only other occupant. Grinning happily, I threw myself across the room only to snatch the brunette up by her waist, spinning her around and around. Her laughter was enchanting, filling the air with so much pure joy as to be infectious as I lowered her back to her feet. A serene chuckle from one of only three seats at the table drew both our gazes to the beautiful blonde sitting there_.

_"Rosalie," I acknowledged with a smirk. "Keeping our mate entertained?"_

_"Well someone has to," she returned with a playful roll of her eyes. "I dare say I'm more than up to the task of taking care of our little hurricane."_

_"Hey!" the girl inserted indignantly, her voice holding poorly hidden delight. "I plead the fifth. I still don't know how falling down half a flight of stairs caused the school bulletin board to scatter its entire contents over the hall!"_

_I couldn't help but smile as I pulled the girl's back to my front, rising up on my tip-toes to rest my chin on her left shoulder, staring down at the pleased smirk on Rosalie's lips. "I'm pretty sure it involved a break in the laws of physics, something only our accident-prone mate could accomplish."_

_There was a jump in the girl's heart rate before she drew in a quick breath. "Well," she muttered in a forced casual tone, "You could always turn me. I think even I could be graceful as a vampire."_

_Rosalie ceased breathing, my gaze zeroing in on the other vampire, catching her hesitant gaze. It had only been a matter of time, I knew, before the girl would make the request. I knew Rosalie's hangups about bringing any human into our world, but even I couldn't see how this would turn out._

_The blonde vampire stood from her seat gracefully before slowly approaching us. When she was standing mere inches from the girl, she raised her left hand to gently cup her cheek. "Are you certain? Once you make that choice, there's no going back."_

_I felt as well as heard the girl's heart rate pick up drastically. Whether it was from the other woman's gentle tone or her proximity was irrelevant. When the girl finally responded, it was with a hushed yet furtive certainty. "Yes, I want this more than anything. I want to be with you both...forever."_

I jolted from the vision almost painfully, gasping for a breath I no longer needed. I was no stranger to seeing the future, visions invaded my mind's eye on a regular basis, but this was something else entirely. Something that should be impossible.

Before anyone could utter a syllable, I reached out and snatched Edward up by his wrist, pulling him along with me as I left the house. With his gift, he might as well have been sitting right in the middle of my vision with me and I couldn't chance him saying anything to the rest of the family yet.

He seemed to understand this, since he never once fought my grip or slowed his pace. Once we were several miles away, deep into the woods surrounding the town of Forks, I released him before taking a seat on a nearby fallen tree.

"I don't understand," Edward stated after a few moments is silence. "I've never heard of any vampire sharing a mate with another vampire. Besides, I thought Jasper was your mate."

I flinched at the mention of Jasper, ignoring the aching in my chest for now. "I thought so too, but my visions are never wrong. They can change based on the choices someone makes, but the outcomes are true. This girl..." my voice trailed off as I envisioned her beautiful brown eyes, could practically feel the softness of her hair where it had tickled my cheek. She was so beautiful, so perfect. I wanted nothing more than to find her, to know her.

But if my vision was anything to go on, then I would be sharing this girl with Rosalie. I know this thought should have had my hackles rising, I should be snarling and growling and all kinds of upset. But I couldn't seem to summon even a hint of anger or possessiveness that was common with mates, not where the blonde was concerned. Rosalie's content and loving smile as she looked upon our mate was something I had never witnessed in all the years I'd known her. Not even Emmett could evoke such a response from the Ice Queen.

"Whatever this is, we have to tread carefully," I eventually replied. "You cannot tell anyone about my vision, do you understand?" He quickly nodded; he knew how important this was. "Good. We should probably get back, the others are going to be wanting to know what's happened and I doubt Emmett will leave off much longer before he tries to track us down."

"Knowing Emmett, you're probably right," he chuckled, then surprised me with a crushing hug. "I'm happy for you. I can't wait to meet your new mate."

I couldn't keep the grin off my face at the thought of what was to come. "Me either! Moreso I can't wait to see Rosalie's reaction!" A gleeful giggle passed my lips as I imagined what tomorrow would bring. 

* * *

We made it back to the house just as my bear of a brother was heading out the door. One look at my smiling face and Emmett relaxed into his youthful exuberance. "Inside, man-child," I chided with a grin, shoving him aside with the ease that came of being a vampire.

Once we were all seated in the living room, all eyes were on me. "I can't talk about my vision yet," I began, earning a groan from said man-child. "What I can tell you is that this is going to be a very interesting school year."

I couldn't help glancing at Rosalie before smothering the happy smile that wanted to split my lips. "We will be holding a family meeting tomorrow after our first day back. I will discuss as much of the vision as I can then."

Slowly everyone nodded, Carlisle and Esme both with loving smiles, Emmett with a disgruntled sigh, and Rosalie with her usual sneer in place at the thought of anything unknown. Jasper, on the other hand, looked pained and I was more than aware that he had some explaining to do, but that would have to wait until later.

It was already closing in on midnight, so we all began pairing off to go hunting. There was no need to tempt fate by going into a high school full of humans while hungry.

As I led Jasper and I out into the woods, following the small vision I had of a pair of deer nearby, I could sense Jasper's need to talk, to explain himself. But really, there was no need at this point. I understood, really I did. He hadn't wanted to lose me, the only person who loved him for who he is, so he used his gift to enhance my feelings for him. It made me think he was my mate, and while it did upset me, the vision of my true mate kept me grounded. It allowed me to begin to forgive before ire could even set in.

And so, after feeding, I gathered my things from our bedroom and moved into one of the spare rooms on the third floor with a sad smile. He stood by and said nothing, his silence heavy with remorse. I met his gaze only once I was finished, determination making me feel lighter even as part of my heart broke.

No words were spoken, and with a final parting hug, I left him to inhabit our previously shared space alone. I didn't want to be vindictive, but part of me felt he deserved this bit of suffering as penance for his transgressions. Let him sit and dwell in the now-fading scent of our former union that would linger for a while still. I could see that he would not leave the family over this, which was a weight off my shoulders, but he would probably be very closed off from the rest of us for at least a few days.

Finally settling down into my new bed, I drew up the image of my beloved shared mate. I could still see Rosalie's loving smile from over the girl's shoulder, and still I felt peace. I would need to speak with Carlisle soon, to find out if he has ever come across an instance of a shared mate before, but as I let my mind wander, I knew it would all turn out perfect in the end. The excitement of the journey would be more than enough to see me through the monotony of immortality.

* * *

Morning came upon me quicker than I would have thought possible, and my panic finally began to set in. I couldn't decide what to wear! The blue skirt with the white blouse and baby blue jacket, or maybe the yellow sundress with the sandy brown short-sleeved coat?

Whimpering in frustration, I was more than surprised when Jasper of all people appeared at my door. A small, knowing smile lifted his lips, even though there was still a detectable amount of pain in his eyes. "Go with the blue skirt-vest combo you wore last week. It brings out your eyes and compliments your hair."

My fingers reached up to my spiky hair even as Jasper walked away. I knew the outfit he was referring to, I had worn it to the movies last week when Jasper and I went on a double-date with Rosalie and Emmett. It was definitely a good choice, but I wondered if it was appropriate to meet one's mate wearing something your ex suggested. Then I realized that this was his way of telling me he supported me and was going to stand by me regardless and I couldn't help the watery smile that came over me.

With a quick change, I was downstairs and ready to go just as everyone else began to gather. Of course, Rosalie looked immaculate in a white long-sleeve button-down blouse and form-fitted jeans that accentuated her figure without being ostentatious. Emmett was just as clean pressed but with a laid back look to compliment his soon-to-be-ex girlfriend. That was going to be an interesting conversation, because I was very much interested to know why those two had pretended to be mates for all these years.

Jasper was as handsome as ever in a dark-purple long-sleeve button down, a pair of matching black slacks with a silver cuffed belt completing his ensemble. I gave him a small smile as he joined me at my car, while Emmett and Rosalie made their way to Edward's Volvo. The mind-reader was the last to arrive, dressed in a casual tee with artfully torn blue jeans that gave him a laid-back look, even though he couldn't quite hide the air of a 'hunter' from his gait.

A half hour later and we were pulling into the parking area of the school. Jasper and I met up with the others at Edward's car. "Okay, family," I was practically vibrating with excitement as I called everyone's attention to me. "Let's kick this new school year in the ass!"

This drew a few chuckles from the men, while Rosalie just rolled her eyes. "Better not let Esme hear you talking like that," the blonde muttered.

Ignoring her, I turned towards the building where several students were already filing in. "Charge!"

* * *

Classes were so far uneventful, but I knew instinctually that lunch was when everything would begin. There was plenty of buzz around the school of a new senior girl who just transferred in from Arizona. Supposedly the daughter of the Chief of Police, she was quickly garnering a reputation as a klutz after several accidental falls. So far, no injuries were reported, thank the gods.

As soon as my family and I entered I knew she was there, my twirling coming to an abrupt halt. My gaze quickly scanned the room before settling on the girl from my vision. Average height and build, the girl would probably not stand out to anyone in her baggy black hoodie and nondescript jeans, but to me she was the most beautiful, fetching sight I'd even been blessed with. Gods she was even more beautiful than in my vision.

She was sitting with a small crowd of teens that I vaguely recognize. Angela Weber, a sweet girl if I recall correctly, Jessica Stanley, a gossip with the potential for Mean Girl status who wasn't exactly mean but didn't seem to understand empathy, Lauren Mallory, who was the definition of Mean Girl status, Mike Newton, one of the more friendly and flirtatious boys at the school, and Eric Yorkie, a kind boy who didn't quite know where he fit in with the high school hierarchy. It wasn't long after we had entered and took up our place at our usual table that the girl turned and saw us.

Such deep, sorrowful brown eyes, creased in a frown briefly as one of the boys, Mike, began to fill her in on the gossip surrounding our family. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as her gaze eventually settled on mine, almost giggling at the raise of her eyebrows and the way her heart rate practically skyrocketed. It felt like my heart had started beating once again and I couldn't help the shudder that pulsed through me at the instant connection. 

She quickly averted her gaze, only for her heart to give a loud _thud_ when her eyes settled on Rosalie whom I had purposefully sat next to. Oh yes, we had definitely caught the attention of our lovely little mate. I couldn't wait for Rosalie to catch the girl's scent, then I would get front row seats to the thawing of the Ice Queen.

** Rosalie **

Warmth. Heat blooming in my chest. The smell of charcoal and woodsmoke. That's what drew me out of my idle wonderings. It was all at once familiar and foreign, comforting and enticing, so much so that I immediately lifted my gaze to peer at the surrounding tables.

My yellow-hued eyes landed on panicked brown, and it was as if my entire world shifted on its axis. There was no longer myself alone in my head, now there was Rosalie Hale, and woodsmoke, and brown eyes. There was warmth within an ice-cold and still heart. There was life. There was my _mate_.

I couldn't contain my gasp, even as a cold hand settled over my left fist that was pressing against my thigh. I didn't need to look to know it was Alice, and all at once I knew the little pixie had seen this girl last night in her vision. "Why didn't you say something?!" I whispered, just barely audible enough for Alice to hear.

Eventually, I was able to tear my gaze from the girl once my mate averted her eyes. "I wondered the same thing about you and Emmett," Alice replied, just as quiet. "We'll discuss it at the family meeting tonight." And that was that. The little brat.

Knowing my thoughts weren't private, I turned to glare at Edward to see him grinning, screaming at him in German in my head until he flinched and turned away. Finally, I couldn't resist any longer and sent my gaze back to the girl. That's when Edward made a strange choking sound as he, too, turned towards my mate.

"I can't read her." he murmured, which had the rest of us blinking at him in confusion. "The new girl's thoughts, I can't read them. It's like she's blocking me or something. It's like there's static where there should be music."

 _Huh, interesting._ Yes, my mate was definitely shaping up to be a very interesting person indeed. I wanted to go to her, talk to her, find out her name at least. But I hesitated, my anxieties and fears rearing their ugly head. How could I possibly be mated to this girl? Not only was she human and therefore vulnerable and weak, but she was a _girl_. I hadn't ever considered myself gay or bi before, but I guess it didn't matter when it came to mates.

"Let's go talk to her!" Yep, leave it up to Alice to shove me violently out of my comfort zone. Before I could say anything to the contrary, I was being yanked up out of my seat by a very enthusiastic half-pint. She's deceptively strong for her size, vampirism notwithstanding.

Before I could contemplate my escape, Alice had dragged me halfway across the cafeteria, along with the gazes of half the student body. Sooner than I would have thought, we were there, standing across the table from the brunette beauty that was my mate. "Hello!" perked my pixie sister in her absolutely obnoxiously positive way. "I'm Alice Cullen, and this is my sister Rosalie Hale." She stuck her hand out across the table.

The poor girl looked shell-shocked and I didn't blame her. Not only was Alice a giddy force of positivity to be reckoned with, but we were both beautiful. No ego on this one, it was just a plain matter of what we are; vampires are beautiful and enticing creatures, meant to be appealing to the humans who provided our kind with sustenance. Luckily for these humans my family were considered 'vegetarian' vampires, feeding only from animals.

The girl at her side (Andy, I think her name is) elbowed the silent girl, nearly drawing a growl from the back of my throat. Alice's increased pressure on my hand kept the sound below the level of human hearing but still, I can't believe that slip of a girl would dare lay a finger on _my_ mate.

Apparently, that was enough for my mate's mouth to snap shut as she reached a noticeably shaking hand across the table to shake Alice's hand. "I'm B-Bella, Isabella Swan. Call me Bella. Yeah. Hi?"

Oh dear, could this girl get any more adorable? Alice seemed to be enjoying herself as she held the girl's hand a moment longer than necessary before releasing her. Smirking, I felt the urge to one-up my sister as I, too, reached for the girl's hand. Except when her soft, warm fingers were within reach, I grasped hand and flipped it up, leaning over to brush my lips across the tantalizingly smooth skin of the back of her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Isabella," I murmured, ignoring both the increasing shaking in the hand I held aloft between us and the spike in the girl's heart rate. 

Sadly, I had to eventually retract my hand from hers; hell I'm not even sure she realized I was still holding it after several seconds of her just staring wide-eyed at Alice and I. Slow, I needed to be slow about this, get to know my mate and woo her. Luckily, I had all the time in the world.

Alice, ever the tactful seer, bounced on her feet as she pulled a slip of paper from her bag. Producing a pen from who knows where, she began writing on the slip before passing it over to the girl. "Here's our numbers. Feel free to text or call us any time. I have a feeling we're going to be the best of friends!" 

And with that, Alice began pulling me away from my mate back to our table. Not one to be outdone, I made sure to put as much sway to my hips as I could, smirking happily as I heard my mate's pulse jump again. Once we were seated at the table again, I turned back to see that the girl was staring unblinkingly down at the paper Alice had given her.

"Dude," one of the boys whispered in what I could only assume was awe, my hearing making it easy to eavesdrop. "What the hell just happened?"

It was the other, quieter boy that answered, "Dude, new girl got _game!_ Wait, are you even gay, Bella?"

"Pan," my mate whispered almost absently, making my brow furrow in confusion as Alice practically vibrated beside me. 

"Uhh, what?" sneered the other girl I knew to be Lauren. That girl was a bitch and a half and had been jealous of me and my looks from the moment my family had arrived in Forks. 

"I'm pan--pansexual," Bella responded just as absently. I was starting to worry about the girl until she finally shook her head, blinking several times before turning back to fully address her friends. "I don't see gender when it comes to attraction; Cis, trans, non-binary, whatever. Love is love."

"Sis? I mean, those two are sisters, I guess." the first girl questioned.

"No," Bella replied with a chuckle, her face flushing a most delectable share of red. "C-I-S, cisgender. Means someone who presents as the gender they were born as. Come on, guys, you've gotta get caught up with the times."

I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at my mate's easy handling of not only her sexuality but the way she presented that information to her friends without fear. As a woman now questioning her own sexuality, I couldn't imagine being so open about it all with anyone else. Alice might understand, but then again my sister had always been easy to talk to. 

"So you're gay," the bitch-girl Lauren said with a curl of her lip. I had to fight back the growl at the girl's attempt to bring insult to my mate's sexuality, but before I could do or say anything, Bella had already reached across the table and thumped the girl's forehead.

Alice just barely suppressed a giggle as Bella addressed the girl forcefully. "Pansexual, keep up Lauren, jeez."

The girl reared back before sputtering. "What the fuck, Swan!"

The kind girl was there to intervene, her hands up between the two girls in a calming gesture. "Okay, let's calm down girls."

Bella just shrugged. "If you have a problem with my sexuality, tell me now, because I caught enough shit from the girls back at my old high school in Phoenix to put up with it here."

The kind girl just shrugged. "I'm straight, 100%, but I don't have a problem with it. You're still Bella to me."

The boys both nodded, looking a little more intrigued than my instincts were appreciating as the boy (Michael?) gave Bella what I'm sure he thought was a sexy grin. "Hey, it just means we have more in common now!"

Bella blinked at the boy before giving him a raised-brow look. "You're pansexual?"

The boy backpedaled, shaking his head quickly. "N-No, we both like girls!"

A smack to the back the boy's head had him crying out in indignation. "Hey!"

"You're an idiot, Mike," Bella said with a combination of humor and sarcasm that I found quite fetching.

"Are you done eavesdropping?" Alice murmured from my side, snapping my gaze back to our table, only to find every set of my family's eyes on me. If I could have blushed, I think I would have. Dear gods, what was this girl doing to me? 

"Shove it, pipsqueak," I replied, shouldering Alice without much force. "I can't help it that my mate is intriguing."

"Intriguing, huh?" Alice's grin was practically dripping with playful intent. "Should I tell her that when she texts me during fifth period?"

I expected the tiny vampire to go up in flames from my glare alone, but that just made her cackle in that tinkling way of hers. "Don't worry," she assured me, "she'll text you too. Eventually." With that, she was up and on her way out of the cafeteria right as the bell rang, my growl of frustration following close behind her as I gave chase. Unfortunately for me, we were heading in different directions so I wouldn't get a chance to thump her until after school.

**Bella**

Okay, but seriously, what the fuck? I had thought that moving back to Forks for my last year of school would be quiet and uneventful at the very least, or socially damning at the worst. After Renee decided I was 'broken' after she caught me making out with a girl in my room, she thought sending me to live with my dad would be enough to put me back on the straight and not-gay. _Surprise, Mom! Looks like I just got better at being gay!_

Seriously, though, how did I go from having a quiet first day at Forks High to garnering the attention of two of the most beautiful women I had ever seen? I mean, dear gods, where did these two come from? The perky little pixie girl was stunning in an exotic, adorable way, and the blonde bombshell looked like she'd just strutted off a runway. And sisters at that! I mean, they looked nothing alike other than the similarly yellow-colored eyes, but Mike had said they were all adopted, which would explain the blonde having a different name.

Ahh! I didn't know what to do! My irritation of Lauren being a bitch and Mike being a dumbass couldn't override my quickly devolving mental functions. I feel like I'd already burned several brain cells trying to figure out what the hell those girls could possibly want with me. Me, plain-Jane Bella! Unremarkable, uninteresting, un-so many things! While these two were easily elevens on a one to ten scale! 

My hand was still tingling where the blonde's cold lips had pressed. Gods, I thought my heart was just going to stop beating right there. Yep, brain-dead _and_ catatonic. Seriously, 'Hi?' What is wrong with me?

I was still staring idly at the paper with the flowing script that was Alice Cullen's delicate handwriting. Even her bloody penmanship was perfect! And I had not just one, but two numbers to respond to. What the hell am I going to say? I nearly had a nosebleed when the girls walked-- _sashayed_ back to their table. Yep, I've died and gone to my own personal limbo, because hell would have those girls laughing in my face, and heaven would have them naked, just saying. Yep, I'm stuck in limbo with no idea of how to pass on and without a way back.

"So," Mike began oh-so-casually as we made our way out of the cafeteria, "Are you gonna call them?"

"Fuck if I know," I murmured in response, already knowing I was going to text them as soon as I got to my next class. "Later," I called out when it came time for us to go our separate ways. 

True to form, I was pulling out my phone as soon as I landed (because you can't really call what I did 'sitting') in the empty desk when I reached Trig. After saving both of their numbers to my contacts, I opened up a blank text to both of them.

 _'So, what god did I please in order to garner the attention of two of the most beautiful women to walk this plane of existence?'_ I shot the text off to both numbers without hesitation, my anxiety shooting through the roof only after an alert confirmed the texts were sent. _Holy shit, did I just fucking say that?! I'm not this smooth, what the hell is happening to me?!_

Before I could really devolve into a good ole fashion panic-attack, my phone vibrated. _Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck._ I couldn't _not_ read the reply, but holy hell was I freaking out.

 **Pixie Goddess:** _'That would probably be Dionysus, the god of wine and excess. Or maybe Eros, the Greek God of love and sex. Personally, I would go with Eris, the goddess of chaos as I hear that mayhem follows you.'_

 **Blonde Goddess:** _'Satan.'_

I burst out laughing just as the teacher walked in, snapping my mouth shut and biting my lip as I suddenly had the attention of every student. Luckily, the teacher launched into his lesson almost immediately, leaving my embarrassment to simmer in the background. Gods, what the hell was I going to do with the attention of two equally beautiful and equally hilarious women? I could _not_ get away with this without some kind of karmic backlash! Knowing my luck, it was all some cruel game to see who could make the new girl drool the quickest.

 _They did seem genuinely interested, though,_ my mind couldn't help but supply. Alice's smile could light up the room, while Rosalie's downright _seductive_ smirk was enough to reduce me to a stuttering, bumbling mess. I could still feel that damn tingle where Rosalie's lips had been.

 _I'm so screwed,_ I thought, my gaze going unfocused as I stared at the front of the class.

**Alice**

I couldn't help the elation that filled me as I twirled my way out into the parking area with Rosalie at my side. Her reaction to Bella was so damn precious. I could practically see the ice melting from around the woman's heart. She was almost a completely different person as we stood there before our mate; that swooping kiss she left on Bella's hand was equal parts hilarious to watch, and heart-stoppingly seductive. I think Bella almost swooned!

I was having fun, far more than I thought I would. Rosalie had no idea that we shared a mate, but she never once interrupted me in my attentions towards the brunette or reacted in any territorial manner. She may not have realized it yet, but her inner vampire hadn't once recognized me as a threat to her mate. I could only take this as a positive, seeing as we would need to be on the same page in loving our mate. 

It just came so _easy_! Flirting with the girl, teasing Rosalie, I don't think anyone other than Edward had a clue what was actually going on. Still, we needed to have that family meeting once we got home.

A ping from both our phones had me point out my device.

 **Ma Belle:** _'Seriously, that was not supposed to sound as smooth as it did. I feel like I should apologize and plead the fifth at the same time.'_

I couldn't hide the grin at the girl's follow-up text. Damn she was adorable! I quickly typed out a reply. _'If that was accidental, then I think I might just swoon if you put effort into it.'_

"What are you smiling at, pipsqueak?" Rosalie finally turned to me after answering her own texts.

"Oh nothing," I replied, fighting to keep my grin from widening. "Texting Bella-boo, what about you?"

I could see the warmth flooding her gaze as she stared down at her phone, a smile twitching at her lips. "She's something, isn't she?"

I felt my grin soften into a genuine smile as I bumped her shoulder. "Only the best for this family!"

Rosalie's gaze finally met mine, and there it was, that front row seat I was talking about. The warmth she had tried to keep hidden bloomed unbidden on her face, her smile immaculate and perfect and so damn happy I couldn't stop myself from drawing her into a tight hug. To my continued disbelief, she returned it, a beautiful laugh rumbling from the back of her throat.

This was something I would fight for. This was Rosalie Hale in love, and I vowed then and there to do everything in my power to keep our mate with us, always.

**Rosalie**

I couldn't hide the outright happiness I felt. My mate was not only unrelentingly beautiful, but she was hilarious to boot.

 **Bella-mou:** _'If you're friends with Satan, can you ask him to reserve me a warm seat for the trip down? Cause I already know where I'm heading when I'm done here.'_

My smirk was just this side of playful when I sent my reply. _'It's Hell, babe, there'll be plenty of warm seats. But in the event you are dissatisfied, you can always sit in my lap.'_

"You done flirting with Bella?" came a teasing voice from my other side from Alice. I looked up to catch the playful grin Emmett was shooting me, another eye-roll already in motion when I turned to Alice. 

"Mind if I ride with you," I ask the smaller girl. "I can't stand the smell of testosterone that fills the spaces every where this adult child goes." I gestured behind me for effect, since we both knew exactly whom I was talking about. Alice's tinkling laugh pulled another smile from me, the pixie girl practically dragging me along to her Porsche, Emmett's complaints following at a distance as he left for Edward's Volvo. It was strange, but instead of following us, Jasper joined the other boys.

 _Fine by me_ , I thought, settling into the passenger seat beside Alice. I liked her company better nowadays anyway. Another ping from my phone drew my attention once again.

 **Bella-mou:** _'I think i have a nosebleed. Thanks for that image. :P'_

I felt myself smiling as I fired back a quick reply. _'Consider it an open-ended offer. I've been told I can be quite comfortable to cuddle with.'_ Literally no one has ever said that about me, but dammit if I couldn't help flirting. In fact, most people refer to me as the Ice Queen. The fact that I'm actually cold to the touch has nothing to do with that nickname, earned completely on merit alone. 

"How's little Bella-boo?" Alice chimed in as we pulled out of the parking area, heading for home.

"She's..." I sighed wistfully before leaning back in my seat. "She's perfect."


	2. Chapter 2: The Mate

**AN: Surprise! Chapter 2 up in your face. Honestly, I have actually already written like 42k words on this so far and it just keeps writing itself. A big shout-out to my hubby of 10 years for indulging my gay heart and creating the cover image for this story.**

**I know where I plan to take this story, but getting from point A to point B is going to be a journey and a half. I can already tell you that these chapters are longer than usual, even for me. I don't know how that keeps happening but the length keeps building up as I write lol. If you can power through then I'll gladly keep at it for as long as my muse allows. She's a very cruel woman and she likes to use the whip (as if that were a bad thing o.o ).  
**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and if you have any questions or requests, let me know. I've written up to chapter 6 already and its still coming along, but I might take requests if you get them ASAP. And without further gilding the lily, please enjoy Chapter 2!**

**Alice**

"Okay, okay, everyone settle down!" I interrupted the absolutely silent and still room. Grinning cheekily, I couldn't help rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet. I was enjoying myself way too much, but I knew if I didn't hurry this along then Emmett would get impatient.

"I bet you're wondering why I called you all here today." I began slowly pacing in front of the gathered family, my fingers laced behind my back, my lips pursed for effect.

Surprisingly, it was Rosalie that cut into my theatrics. "Get on with it and explain why you didn't warm me about meeting my mate!"

Oh, she pretended to be annoyed, but I knew there was little that could dampen her spirits. I knew because I was still riding high myself. Our mate was so very beautiful and had the most hilarious sense of humor. It was like a mix between mine and Rosalie's, upbeat yet dark with a hint of sadomasochism.

"Well," I began, coming to a stop in front of Rosalie, "It might have been easier to understand my vision if you and Emmett weren't pretending to be mates." I gave her a withering glance but couldn't hold it for long. I was far too happy to scowl.

This time it was Emmett who answered. "That was probably my fault." When we all just stared at him, his boyish grin fell off his face with a nervous chuckle. "Rosalie and me, we thought it would be easier to act like mates rather than deal with questions about our relationship. But we both accepted that one day we might actually find our true mates--well, _I_ knew, Rosalie didn't think--" his voice cut off with a wince, Rosalie's clawed hand digging into his thigh.

"You didn't think you had a mate," I finished quietly, my heart aching for my sister more than ever.

It was quiet for a long moment before Rosalie shifted uncomfortably, looking away. "Can you blame me?"

No, I really couldn't. After all the blonde beauty had been through, the circumstances of her turning, I could never blame her for feeling unlovable. It was absolutely not true, but I could understand where her feelings were coming from. So, instead of letting her dwell on the past, I forced a lighter note into my voice.

"Well, I'm pleasantly surprised to tell you that Bella is indeed your mate!"

A soft smile eased the tension from Rosalie's face. "Yes, most certainly." A wistful sigh escaped the normally cold woman. "She's so beautiful."

I couldn't hide my smirk as I deposited myself unceremoniously into her lap, wrapping my arms loosely around her neck. She just accepted my presence there, adjusting to allow a more comfortable position. I had always been a touchy-feely person, so no one expressed any surprise at my actions, but I knew things were slightly different now. This was my mate's other mate and her happiness and acceptance was going to be an important factor in our relationship with Bella.

A throat being unnecessarily cleared drew my attention to Edward. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he added with an arched brow. I knew he was asking why I had yet to mention the dual mate bond. I wasn't entirely sure myself why I was keeping it a secret, but part of it surely was the thrill I was getting from playing the field between Rosalie and I. She had no idea, yet she still accepted all of my flirting and teasing with and about Bella naturally. I knew if it had been anyone else, Rosalie would have been at their throats. It had me curious enough to keep the game going. I wanted to see if Rosalie would realize on her own, but eventually I would probably have to say something.

For now, I decided to give a little bit away. "Oh, you mean how I found _my_ mate today?"

Dead silence. No one moved or breathed (not like we needed to). I was throwing Jasper under the bus, but my instincts were telling me to get it out into the open.

It was Emmett of all people who finally spoke up. "Is that why you moved into your own room last night?"

I nodded, humming quietly. "Let me start by saying that I understand why he did what he did and that all is forgiven." I sat up a little to give an uncomfortable-looking Jasper a small smile. "Jasper used his ability to intensify my feelings for him, to the point they mimicked a mate bond. After my vision last night, I realized what he had been doing and moved out of our old room."

"Jasper Whitlock!" Of course Esme wouldn't be able to let something like that slide, but I was quick to intervene.

"Esme, please, let it go. He made a mistake, and while it will take a while for him to earn my trust back, it is _my_ decision to forgive him. I expect everyone to respect this and move on. Besides," I couldn't hold back my grin despite the previous topic, "My mate is absolutely stunning. Nothing else matters."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense," Emmett said, his childlike glee radiating from his infectious smile. "Who is this stunning...er, guy? Girl?" His confusion was palpable, and admittedly I understood it. Rosalie was mated to a woman suddenly, so everything was already topsy-turvy.

Still, I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. "Girl! She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!"

"I'm suddenly surrounded by lesbians," Edward muttered, earning a smack to the back of his head from Esme.

"Be nice," she growled playfully in her mothering tone she reserved for when one of us acted up. "Also, I don't like what you're implying about my husband." She turned to Rosalie and I with a smile as several of us laughed. "I can't wait to meet your mates!"

I smiled as Rosalie snorted softly. I had no doubt Esme was already preparing in her head for our human mate. By tomorrow she'd have the entire kitchen stocked to the brim with food.

"You still haven't told us who your mate is, Alice." I was surprised by the serious tone Carlisle's voice held, but he wasn't the head of our family for nothing.

"On that note, everyone go hunt," I announced, standing from my cushion named Rosalie.

There was a lull where everyone kind of just sat there. Eventually, it was Carlisle who put his foot down. "You heard your sister. We will need everyone in top form for the days to come."

Without preamble, everyone got up to leave, Rosalie pausing briefly at the door to shoot me a concerned look before she, too, disappeared into the woods. I lowered myself into one of the chairs across from where Carlisle and Esme resided.

"Allow me to answer your coming question with one of my own," I interjected once I was sure everyone was out of hearing range, cutting off Carlisle just as he open his mouth to speak. "Have you ever heard of two vampires having the same mate?"

Esme's soft gasp told me she knew exactly what I was insinuating, but it was Carlisle's furrowed brow that drew my attention. "I can't say I've ever heard of such a thing. As far as I know, a vampire has one mate. If you do, in fact, share a mate with Rosalie, then you will be the first recorded case." He paused to rub his chin thoughtfully." If you want, I could check with my contacts in the Volturi."

"No!" I couldn't help but shout, the images that drifted through my mind more than terrifying. "The Volturi can never find out about her!"

Carlisle blinked at my vehement protests, raising his hand in a placating gesture. "Okay, Alice, I promise no one outside of our family will know of your mate."

I sighed as my body sagged back against my seat. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. This is so new to me, and every time I try to see more of my mate's future, I just draw blanks." It was true, I could get snatches of things here or there when either Rosalie or myself made decisions, but I get next to nothing from Bella herself.

Esme's giggle drew my have. "It would figure our little seer would be foiled by her true mate. I can't wait to meet her!" She pursed her lips a moment later. "I assume that, since you sent everyone away, that you don't want us telling the others?"

This brought my grin back to my lips. "Nope! Edward knows, of course, but I don't want the others to know just yet. Especially Rosalie." I couldn't help the toothy smile I sent Esme's way. "I'm going to have so much fun!"

Esme simply rolled her eyes with an equally playful smile. "I trust you to know what you're doing as far as your mate goes, but please be careful. Rosalie has hidden behind so many layers for so long. I worry what this mate will do to her now that her heart is on the line."

"Don't worry," I reassured her with a softening smile. "I will do everything in my power to make sure my mate is happy and safe, and in doing so, that means protecting Rosalie as well. I've already seen the house we're going to share!"

This got Esme's attention, her critical eye for design showing in the wide-eyed gaze she sent my way. "Truly? You _must_ tell me everything you saw!" Yep, I could already see Esme working out the designs for our home-to-be. I was so excited I was practically vibrating in my seat but just as I opened my mouth to respond I could hear the sounds of the others returning.

Whispering, I quickly added, "If it comes to it, ask Edward. He'll know."

Esme nodded with a smile and an air it excitement about her. Momma-Esme was on the case! In the meantime, I had a mate to entertain and a sister to tease!

** Bella **

"How was your first day of school?" I was barely in the front door when Charlie began his interrogation. Sighing, I sat my backpack by the foot of the stairs before heading to the fridge. There were very few things in the fridge, as well as the cupboards, that I would consider 'edible.'

"It was school," I muttered in response, turning to Charlie with a frown. "Do you ever cook, or do you live off frozen meals?"

He just shrugged from his place at the kitchen table. "It's food."

"Hardly," I grumbled, raising my voice to be heard. "You can't keep eating this way, dad."

"Well," he replied, dropping his newspaper on the table, "Why don't you handle dinner from now on? I'll give you some cash and you go buy us some groceries. How's that sound?"

 _Like you're lazy and can't take care of yourself, dad._ "Fine. But don't expect me to stock those cardboard boxes you call TV dinners. We're getting _real_ food, with actual nutrition."

"Sounds good to me," he said with an easy smile. I think I had walked right into his trap, but I guess this was my lot in life now. "So, make any new friends?"

I couldn't hide the blush as I thought of Alice and Rosalie. We'd been texting back and forth since fifth period, which reminded me that I needed to check my phone now that I was home. "Sure," I muttered as I dug my phone out of my pocket, noticing a new text from both girls.

He must have caught the grin that I knew was present when faced with thoughts of the girls. "So, that's a yes. What's his name?"

I frowned, trying not to flinch at the implied heteronormative response. "You do know why mom sent me here, right?"

Charlie's grimace was answer enough. "She, uh, said she found you with someone in a compromising position. She thought getting you out of whatever situation you were in would help you with whatever had you 'confused'--her words, not mine."

I snorted, finally picking out the thin makings of a sandwich and began putting it together. "She caught me making out with a girl, Charlie. She thinks I'm gay."

There was a strangled sound that almost had me smiling wryly, but the subject was too stressful for me to indulge it. Charlie was not much of a father figure--not his fault, some people just aren't good at parenting. So I imagine when faced with talking with his nearly-eighteen-year-old daughter about anything even suggestive of sexuality, I'm pretty sure his brain was short-circuiting.

I had finished putting together my sandwich and took up a seat across from him by the time he responded. "Um, well, _are_ you gay?"

I chuckled around the piece of turkey I was nibbling on. It was ironic that I was having this conversation twice in one day, all on my first day back to Forks. "No, not in the sense that I'm only attracted to women. I consider myself pansexual." I didn't even bother waiting for his question, deciding to get everything on the table, so to speak. "I don't see a person's gender when considering if I want to be with them. I see the person first, and gender doesn't matter to me. I've been told it's basically being bisexual with extra steps, but I don't like that description."

"Huh," was Charlies oh-so-articulate response. He was staring down at his discarded newspaper with a thoughtful yet confused look on his face. "So...you like men and women?"

I sighed, smiling pityingly at the man who was so obviously where I got my own awkwardness from. "If you want it in plain terms, then yes. But I recognize that there is so much more to a person than their gender. I love the person, the soul, without consideration for what's between their legs."

Unlucky for Charlie, he had just so happened to take a swig from his beer, which subsequently ended up spewed across his newspaper. Luckily for me, I had enough sense to lift my plate off the table in time for his dramatic reaction. I couldn't help but laugh at the aghast look he had on his face while he tried his best to wipe away the mess he'd made with a nearby towel.

Taking that as my cue to leave, I stood up and tossed my now-empty plate into the sink to clean later. "Don't worry too much about it, Charlie. Mom overreacted, but I have to say that I think this move will be a blessing in disguise."

"Bells." My dad's quiet voice drew me up short just as I reached the doorway. I turned back but found Charlie looking out the window rather than at me and I dreaded what he was about to say. "Your mom...she can be a bit... judgmental. But I want you to know that I love you for who you are and I will never judge you for who you love."

I clenched my jaw to keep the sudden flood of tears at bay. Knowing he wouldn't want me to draw further attention to his uncharacteristic display of emotion, I simply nodded and turned to leave. "I love you too, dad. Thank you." I was out of the room and halfway up the stairs before the tears began to fall. Shutting the door behind me, I threw myself onto my bed and pressed my face into the pillow.

How could this man who had barely been a part of my life be more accepting of me than my own mother?! It wasn't fair! He had listened and gave consideration to my thoughts and feelings without complaint, even offered up his own olive branch even though I know he had to still be confused. LGBT+ topics were hard enough to discuss in a normal setting. The terminology could get confusing for someone new to the subject, but here was my dad throwing his support behind his daughter without hesitation.

Grumbling, I rolled over and pulled out my phone, figuring a bit of flirting with my two personal deities might relieve some of my frustration.

First, I texted a response to Alice's last text, seeing as I had kind of neglected doing so while responding to Rosalie's texts. _'Swoon all you want, ma petit, I'll be there to catch you. ;) '_

I had to admit, I was happy I had decided to take French as my High School second language elective. There was something so delicate, so romantic about speaking French. Then, once again, my text caught up with me and I had to blink at just how smooth my words were coming out. This seriously was _not_ the kind of person I am. I wasn't exactly _unsuccessful_ with dating back in Phoenix--my mom did catch me making out with a rather pretty girl--but holy shit I was not normally this damn smooth!

Then I glanced at Rosalie's last text and my breath caught in my throat for a moment before being expelled in a low whistle of sound. _'Careful,'_ I shot back, _'It has been a long time since I last had a good cuddlefest and I am severely overdue.'_

As soon as I'd sent the text, I couldn't help but blush at the implications. An open-ended invitation to cuddle with Aphrodite herself. What did I, a mere mortal, ever do to deserve such attention from on-high?! Seriously, this doesn't just happen to me. Before I could continue to devolve into another confused rant about my bottom-tier self-confidence, my phone pinged.

 **Eris:** _'Oh dear, but you are a charmer, aren't you? You do realize now that I will be falling into your arms at my earliest convenience, correct? You've brought this upon yourself!'_

Another ping sounded before I was able to reply to Alice's text, because _seriously_ , what the hell was I going to say to _that_?

 **Satan:** _'That sounds both like a challenge and a threat, little Bella-mou. You should know that I never turn down a challenge.'_

I blinked, my breath catching a bit as I read over both of their texts before slowly setting my phone aside. Then, with nothing better to do, I promptly turned my head into my pillow and let out a rather high pitched squeal. There was absolutely no way I could confidently respond to either of these girls. They had to be teasing, obviously. There was just no effing way they could actually be interested in me, I kept reminding myself. First, there's Alice, who could easily put Audrey Hepburn to shame with her delicate beauty. Then, there's Rosalie, who looked like if Charlize Theron and Cara Delevingne had a baby together!

Coming out of my stupor, I did the only thing I could do and I retreated, sending off a text to both girls. _'You've both successfully turned my brain to mush, so on that note, I bid you beauties goodnight. Bonsoir, mes chéries.'_

With that, I hooked up my phone up to the charger and went to take a shower. Maybe a nice blast of cold water would wipe the permanently attached befuddled smirk off my face.

** Alice **

I couldn't help but giggle at the last text from Bella. She was so adorably shy, even after all our back and forth flirting. I can just imagine the girl blushing and peeking at her phone as both Rosalie and I continued our relentless assault.

I had convinced Rosalie to share the third floor room with me. It had a huge walk-in closet, with plenty of leftover space in the dressers--I had made sure of it when a vision of our conjoined living situation came to me. Rosalie, of course, wanted to move out of the room she had shared with Emmett, just as I had felt the urge to leave behind the room I had shared with Jasper. When confronted with one's mate, there really wasn't anyone else you wanted to be around other than them.

 _Present company excluded,_ I thought with a smirk as Rosalie relaxed on the loveseat that took up one side of the room. I was kicked back on the large king size bed, my phone in hand awaiting any further messages from our mate. It was almost funny how easily Rosalie relented to move in with me. Normally, a vampire in the process of solidifying the bond with their mate would seek solitude, especially from other vampires. But I guess that was just one more unique aspect of sharing a mate.

Bella's last text of the night pinged to both our phones, drawing a giggle from me and a pleased hum from Rosalie. I did hope that we weren't overwhelming the girl, but I had a feeling she was going to be able to dish out as good as she got. She was very resilient for a human.

Smiling one last time, I tossed out one last text for our dear mate. _'Rest well, mon ami. Sweetest of dreams to you.'_ I had found it quite a delight to realize the girl spoke French and was willing to use it in conversation. It truly was one of the most romantic languages. Turning to Rosalie, I could see her gentle, loving smile soften as she shot off her own goodnight text.

"So," I spoke into the silence. "What do you think of our dear little Bella?"

Rosalie's smile faltered, and even from here I could sense her anxieties rearing their ugly head. "She's absolutely perfect. Everything I could ever want in a mate." She sighed heavily before continuing in a more subdued tone. "She's human, though. What do we even do about that? I-I don't know if I will have the strength to turn her, but I know I won't be able to live without her."

 _Good,_ I thought, _give voice to those atrocious fears so I can smash them with a hammer._ "I'm certain that when the time comes, when she's been informed of who and what we are, that she will want to join us in immortality. So, for now, you don't get to worry your pretty head about that because it's going to be _her_ decision to make." I paused, smiling as I met Rosalie's hesitant gaze. "And she _will_ make the choice, I guarantee. She is perfect, after all."

Slowly Rosalie's smile returned, the thought of our wonderful mate more than enough to chase away the shadows of doubt. "She's so beautiful now, I don't think my dead heart will be able to take it when she's turned. Can you imagine?"

 _Flashes of images filled my mind quickly, each scene flickering one past the other, almost too fast for me to separate them, but there was one theme that stood out from each one._ "She's going to be the most beautiful of our kind."

Rosalie's gasp came from right beside me, drawing me from within myself to meet her wide-eyed gaze as she half-stood, half-slouched down beside me. "Truly?" she whispered, a hint of fear more than overpowered by desperation.

I smiled and reached for the blonde beauty, pulling her down beside me on the bed. "Truly, magnificently, perfectly perfect!" Oh how I wished I could share my visions with her in that moment, so that she could see the gloriously fetching sight of our mate with flawless white skin and fiery red eyes.

Rosalie's sigh was cool against my cheek as she lay facing me. "I can't wait."

I chuckled as I drew her arm across my abdomen, not bothered one bit by her proximity, nor she by mine, judging by the way she subconsciously drew me closer to her. "I cannot wait, but I wouldn't miss this journey for anything."

**Bella**

The following day at school was something out of this world to be sure. Classes went by in a blur, only slowing when I was in shared classes with Rosalie or Alice. Hell, I even wound up talking to the broody Cullen, Edward, during Biology. He was okay, but he seriously had a weird vibe about him that I couldn't quite feel comfortable with. It was like he was a leashed animal and I the unwilling prey that had caught his eye.

I wasn't worried, not really, but the weird way his eyes could flash from gold to black in an instance was definitely creepy. I tried not to look during those moments, ignoring his presence in the hopes that he would forget I existed. Seriously, there was something super weird about this Cullen.

I also shared History with the one called Jasper. I had heard the rumors that he and Alice were dating, which had initially not-completely-but-kinda broke my heart. That is, until I texted Alice about this rumor and she squashed it with a quick--' _Not anymore.'_ So I was maybe a little bit happy about that and was willing to make nice with the constipated looking young man next chance we got, seeing as he was brother to my lady goddesses.

And no, I am totally not trying to win brownie points with Alice and Rosalie's family. Not in the slightest. And I was in _no way_ secretly watching Rosalie out of the corner of my eye during Literature. Okay, so I was outright staring creepily and the mental image of Edward's stalker vibes was enough to make me force my attention back to the front of the class. For a minute. A personal best, if I do say so. I mean, seriously, have you _seen_ Rosalie Hale?!

What I was totally unprepared for was Gym. Not only was Emmett in this class, but so was Alice. I was late to class so I was the last to change, but for several moments I just stood there mouth-agape at the sight of Alice Cullen, my own little Eris, wearing a taut sleeveless tanktop and the smallest pair of shorts probably legally allowed in the school's program. I swear, a small whimper made its way past my lips, and several muscles throughout my body _clenched._

 _Stop being a creep, stop being a creep!_ Even my internal warning system couldn't derail my drooling. Only the sound of the Coach's whistle blowing loudly directly beside me was able to shatter my overly eager stare-fest. "If you're finished staring off into space, Ms. Swan, go get changed and start running laps."

Groaning, I couldn't help but flush as Alice and several of the other gathered student body giggled at my awkwardness. Luckily the Coach had mistaken my spell for stupidity rather than hormonal overload. With hurried steps, I ran to the locker room and changed into my gym clothes--a tattered pair of sweats and a white muscle shirt, along with the black sports bra that was going to be drenched by the end of class. I really needed to get into better shape.

By the time I got out into the gym proper, the class had separated into playing different games; volleyball, basketball, I even saw some four-square going on in one of the corners. As I began to jog around the perimeter of the gym for my laps, I was almost immediately aware that I wasn't alone.

"Tiny Goddess, how are you today?" I spoke confidently, ignoring the way my voice sounded strained and winded already. Shit I was really out of shape.

"Ma Belle! How did you know it was me?" she replied as she came up flush beside me. She was easily keeping pace with me, and I noticed she hadn't even broken a sweat despite having been in the class for ten minutes longer than me.

I snorted as I chugged along. "Let's see, who else in this godforsaken class would willingly join me for a light jog when they could be attempting to beat each other with various balls?"

A giggle from my side had me almost missing a step, the sound tickling my heart as well as my eardrums. "First off, I refuse to play with anyone's balls."

This time I did trip, a face-meet-floor kind of vertically challenged feat that only I could pull off on a perfectly flat surface. Fortunately for me, I had a tiny goddess looking out for me, because the next thing I knew I was caught and held in the impossibly soft, cold, and rock-hard grip of one Alice Cullen. She had caught me about the waist, her arms wrapped securely around my back with my scarlet-red face planted in her neck.

Not gonna lie, I sniffed. Not in a creepy way, I was winded and out of breath, both from the fall and running for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes. Okay, so the first deep breath could be excused, but once I caught the scent of the girl I was practically cradled against, I couldn't help myself. Lavender, vanilla, and some kind of citrusy scent I couldn't quite place, but altogether it was the most deliriously pleasing smell to ever have graced my senses. She smelled like Spring.

Which was odd, that she smelled this glorious even after our short little bit of exercising. Gods, these girls were going to be the death of me, but oh what a way to go.

"Are you done trying to fight the floor?" she murmured, her dulcet voice ringing beautifully in my ear. "'Cause, no offense, ma belle, but my money's on the floor at this point."

I laughed, shoving lightly at her hips (like, when the _hell_ did my hands get _there?_ ), pulling back to grin stupidly at the girl's playful smirk. "Hey, I will have you know I was the face-planing champion of my old high school. 7-0 baby! Undefeated!"

Her tinkling laughter lit up her face as well as caused a stutter in my heart, the sight of her happy grin making me feel like I was floating on air. "Well, I hate to tell you this but you're going to have to hang up that championship title. Between Rosalie and I, we're not ever going to let your beautiful face meet the ground in battle ever again!"

I found myself blinking several times as her words attempted to penetrate my quickly melting brainmatter. "B-Beautiful? No way, you and Rosalie are seriously, like, goddesses! I can't even compare to you two!" I realized I was fumbling over my words, but seriously, how do you accept a compliment like that from someone who was the definition of 'flawless'? "Besides, aren't you the one who said you were going to be 'falling' for me?"

Deflection, successful. Alice's eyes lit up as she remembered our texts from the previous night. "You know, you're right, I have yet to fulfill my swooning quota for today!" And then, because why not, the delicate diminutive girl flung herself up and into the space in front of me. Through either luck or some unknown source of grace, where ever it came from, I somehow managed to catch the wily girl, cradling her bridal style while her arms wrapped around my neck and shoulder.

Not gonna lie, I strained. I know I'm weak, but holy crap this girl was _solid!_ I knew she couldn't have been _that_ heavy, so I decided that I would begin exercising every single damn day from then forward because there was no way I was going to miss out on this chance ever again.

"Hi," she smirked, her beautiful gold eyes practically amber now, inches separating our faces. Oh dear gods, I looked at her lips, _focus Bella!_ _Eye-contact, for the love of the gods!_

A strangled gurgle was my rather articulate response, my face flushing so deeply I don't think I had any blood flowing to any other part of my body. Only to remember my instant arousal at seeing her attire earlier and feeling the soft skin of her thighs never over my right arm and, yeah, definitely got blood flow to other parts of my body.

Suddenly, Alice's head was resting on my shoulder and I could hear her breathe deeply. " _Mmm_ , you smell so good, Bella."

I was so happy we had stopped at the bleachers because my legs were suddenly _jelly_ and so I found myself sitting rather than falling. I might not have a problem with face-battling the floor, but there was no way I was going to risk bringing harm to my tiny goddess.

Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunately, the Coach blew his whistle. "Alright, everybody store the equipment and go get changed. Friday we're going to be indulging in some good old fashion dodgeball!" A collective groan went up around the gym, only for the sounds of shuffling to replace it as everyone began moving to obey.

I sighed, feeling Alice shifting her position until she was sitting up in my lap. "I had fun today! Maybe tomorrow you can show up on time and we'll have more time to play." She winked at me before she poked my nose with a cold finger. Then she was springing to her feet with a grace and smoothness that I would never be able to match on my best day. "Come on, you heard the coach. Gotta go get changed."

I was going to speak, truly I was. Except there was this problem when I couldn't get the thought of a very naked Alice out of my head as she lead me towards the locker room. Seriously, higher brain function was a non-issue for me at the moment. All I could do was trail after her like the absolutely lost puppy I am.

Whether by design or happy accident, we were the last two students to arrive. I swallowed hard around the lead lump that has lodged itself in my throat and made my way to my locker. I could hear Alice shuffling around nearby, probably at her own locker, and it took a mighty will to keep my gaze locked forward. Dear gods, what the hell was wrong with me?! I was not some horny teenager who couldn't control herself! All evidence to the contrary be damned!

A clearing of a throat behind me drew my hesitant gaze over my shoulder to find Alice already dressed simply in a long-sleeved blue blouse and matching skirt that barely reached to her upper thighs, a black pair of flats covering her delicate feet. "Are you going to change? School's about over and I have it on good authority that a certain blonde bombshell was hoping to see you before we head home."

My eyes widened and I turned around and began tearing my uncomfortably sweaty shirt off, my sports bra joining the pile at my side. I was halfway pulling my sweats down my legs when a strangled gasp from behind me drew me up short. _Oh shit, did I just strip in front of Alice?!_ A hesitant glance over my shoulder told me that _yes,_ yes I did just give Alice Cullen the peep show of a lifetime. The girl's eyes were wide, but more curious than anything was the pitch blackness in them I had only ever seen on Edward's creepy face.

On Alice, the look was terrifying, but in a way that was absolutely not terrifying. Even as she had the grace to turn around, the nick of time had long since passed and I was privilege to the sight of a flustered pixie as she made a slight hiccupping noise. "I-I, um, I'm so sorry! I'll, uh, I'll meet you out at the parking area. Yeah." If that mess of a statement wasn't enough, the girl practically _ran_ from the room, the speed with which she moved almost appearing _inhuman_ if I wasn't already blinking my blushing face the opposite direction.

 _Yep, I'm dead. If anyone could ever die of embarrassment, I would be the first case. They're going to name a disease after me, I can already tell._ Ugh, I was already in the process of dressing as I began to imagine just what they should carve on my tombstone.

But even as I contemplated the numerous ways I could avoid just about any interactions with another human being for the rest of my existence, part of my brain was focused on one fact.

_She didn't look away._

**Rosalie**

Something was wrong. I had known Alice for decades and I had never once seen her this nervous or quiet. The girl normally vibrated with kinetic energy, incapable of sitting still without somehow _moving_. But the girl who stood before me now was wide-eyed and clutching at the back of her Porsche hard enough that I was afraid she was going to rip the trunk right off.

"What's wrong, Ali?" I tried to get the smaller vampire's attention, catching a brief glimpse of black eyes before Alice suddenly threw herself into my arms. Her grip was fierce, her arms wrapping around my waist with so much tension she was almost shaking. She _was_ shaking, I realized, and I was almost terrified of what had happened to put her into this kind of state. "Is it Bella? Is she okay?"

Finally, my words seemed to be getting through to her, as the girl took a deep, unnecessary breath, before exhaling slowly. "No, Bella's fine. More than fine, she's absolutely, devastatingly attractive."

This had my brows raising, smelling something warm and musky pouring off the girl for the first time ages. It was no secret that, while Emmett and Jasper weren't our mates, we all have very healthy sex drives. So, I unfortunately _knew_ what it smelled like when Alice was aroused, just as she had smelled the same from me at one time or another over the years. You couldn't live as long as we do with our infinitely heightened senses without catching certain details you'd rather not know.

Why it was pouring off Alice now was confusing but I couldn't understand why she seemed so tortured by it. The only thing I could think of that would set her off like this would be her somehow coming into close contact with her mate in some form or another. Deciding to let the girl gather herself, I gently stroked her back with one hand, the other brushing at her hair soothingly.

Before I could speak again, my phone pinged from my pocket. Drawing the device, I was even further confused by the text from Bella.

 **Bella-mou:** _'Please for the love of the gods tell Alice I am so sorry!'_

I blinked down at the cryptic message, pulling Alice back a bit for me to bring my phone up to her gaze. "What does she mean?"

Alice's gaze turned panicked for a moment before she slowly closed her eyes, groaning in frustration. "We had gym together and we were the last to get changed at the end of class. I, um, I kind of saw her...while she was changing."

It was a lucky happenstance that most of the students had already left for the day, since the burst of laughter that left my lips would have drawn more than a few wayward eyes. I don't remember the last time I had given such a full-bellied _laugh_ like this one, but honestly it felt so liberating to free the sound from my chest. It was several seconds before I was able to get myself under control, realizing I had doubled over with one hand resting on Alice's shoulder.

Stretching back to my full height, I couldn't help but pat the girl's cheek. "You're freaking out because you saw Bella change?"

Alice's brows furrowed as she unleashed an almighty pout that would have driven lesser men and women to their knees. It only had the effect of unleashing more laughter from me as her pout turned into a glare. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up! I think I traumatized the girl! She must think me a creep!"

"Ohhh!" I sighed out, slowly catching my unnecessary breath. "I needed that! Don't worry, pipsqueak. I'm sure you didn't traumatize the poor girl."

A choking sound from nearby drew our gazes as Edward had just reached the side of Alice's Porsche. His gaze was wide, and by the way he immediately began backpedaling, I knew he'd just seen into Alice's thoughts. With twin snarls, Alice and I were on him in seconds, my hand reaching for his throat just as her hands grasped his shirt, pinning him back against his Volvo.

"You will erase that image from your memory," I hissed, the deep growl rolling from my chest matched only by the feral sound emanating from Alice. "Whatever it takes, you will bleach any thought of it from your mind, do you understand me?"

Edward nodded, as much as my grip would allow. The sound of cracking stone was both satisfying and terrifying, swallowing hard against the flood of venom in my mouth. Slowly, inch by inch, I forced myself to retract my hand, pulling along with me the clawed grasp Alice had pinned into his chest. The shirt was shredded a bit from her nails, but the sound of scratched stone was more than enough to let me know he had more than just his throat to heal.

Edward was gone in a flash, off through the woods and far away from our grasps. Jasper or Emmett would get his car, I was sure, but for the moment I couldn't bring myself to care. I grabbed Alice's hand and dragged her over to her car just as the door opened from the main building, revealing Bella. The girl looked up just as we reached the bumper of the Porsche, a fierce blush painting her cheeks.

"I am so sorry, Alice," she called out as soon as she stood a few feet from us. She was ringing her fingers together in front of her, looking adorably guilty and I couldn't help the chuckle that rumbled from my throat, causing the girl's heart a jolt predictably.

"I'm sure Alice will be fine," I smirked, reaching for the girl's hand almost without conscious thought, brushing a gentle kiss over her knuckles. "Though now I'm a bit jealous I didn't take gym this year. I'm thinking of changing elective, in fact. I think Gym might be just the thing to spice up the school year."

Somehow the blush only seemed to intensify as the girl floundered a bit. "I, um, what?"

"Nothing," I chuckled again, anticipating the way Bella's pulse thundered in her chest. "How was your second day?"

"Fine," she murmured, obviously still embarrassed, though she seemed more than willing to remain in our presence despite it. "I just wish the gossip mill didn't work so fast. I've been called a 'dyke,' 'lesbian,' and 'freak' on more than one occasion and its only day two. I can't wait to see what they come up with tomorrow." She rolled her eyes for effect, her smirk wavering briefly.

I was clenching my teeth so hard I was sure even Bella could hear the grinding, but what caught me off guard was the sound of a hiss coming from Alice at my side. "Who said those things. What are their names?"

I nodded my appreciation for Alice's words, adding my own, "By the time we're finished with them, you won't have to ever worry about such treatment again."

Bella was blinking back and forth between us like she couldn't quite believe that we were serious. "Um, don't worry about it, girls. Seriously, this isn't anything unusual for me!"

I had to fight to keep myself from growling. "Names, Bella."

The human's eyes widened as they met mine, no doubt sensing the predator close to the surface. I was more than willing to unleash fury upon those who had insulted my mate. How fucking dare those pathetic humans think to insinuate my Bella was anything less than perfect!

There was suddenly a warm arm around my shoulder, half of a warm body pressed in against my left side. It took me several moments to realize Bella had lunged and wrapped her arms around both myself and Alice at my side, effectively trapping herself between us. The heat pouring off her body seeped into me, cooling the furious anger building up inside me until I suddenly felt myself sag back against the car. With the scent of my mate wafting over me, I couldn't be bothered to think or be angry about anything.

"Okay," I murmured, turning my nose into the girl's exposed throat, "That's just not fair."

"Mmm," was Alice's quiet reply from the other side of Bella's body, "Very not fair. I want to be mad, damn you."

Bella's deep laughter filled my ears as the girl squeezed once before backing away slightly, her arms dropping to her sides. "Sorry, you were both kind of spiraling there and I couldn't think of anything else to do to calm y'all down."

"Effective," I shot back, smirking as the girl realized how close she was to us, only to draw up short when she tried to take a step back as Alice and I both took one of her hands. I turned a wry smile to my little sister before turning back to the girl. "I think you could topple empires with your presence alone."

"Kings would bow at your feet," Alice added.

"Gods could only hope to achieve your beauty." Alice and I were both smirking now as the girl's head seemed to slowly shrink into her shoulders.

"Okay, now I know you're both fucking with me." She shrugged, as much as her position would allow, and turned her head to the side, muttered under her breath, "Friggin' Aphrodite and Isis standing in front of me and they think I'm appealing. What the hell kind of timeline am I in?"

I barely held back my chuckle, but Alice was not so restrained as she giggled outright at Bella's antics. "On that note," Bella said louder, her earlier embarrassment apparently long forgotten. "Can y'all give me a ride home? Charlie--er, my dad called and he's out of town investigating some kind of animal attack and won't be back until this evening."

Alice practically bounced at my side, and with a roll of my eyes, I gestured to the passenger side of the car. "Hop on in." I paused at the side door as Alice ran around to the driver's side and jumped behind the wheel. "Random question: is your will up to date, by any chance?"

The confused look she sent me as I helped her into the back seat was going to be wiped away momentarily, so I just smirked and slid into the passenger seat, pointedly snapping my unneeded seatbelt into place.

**Bella**

_This is how I die,_ I thought, for at least the third time. After Alice sped out of the parking area and onto the main road like a lunatic, I furtively searched for and fastened my seatbelt, gripping at whatever was available to hold myself steady while the tiny madwoman in the driver's seat proceeded to recreate _Gone in 60 Seconds_ and _Fast and the Furious_ all in one trip.

By the time we reached my dad's house, I was latched on to the back of Rosalie's seat, my arms so tight around the cushioned headrest that I was certain there was going to be a Bella-size imprint on the back. When Rosalie stood up to let me out of the car, I practically threw myself onto the ground face-first.

"Land! Sweet, solid land!" Alice's giggle drew me shakily to my feet, a glare and a finger leveled at the tiny terror. "Are you trying to kill us?! Do you realize my dad's a cop?!"

Alice's laughter continued as she came around the car, my gaze shifting warily as she skipped right up to me. "I would never do anything to harm you, ma belle! I simply like to enjoy what little thrill life has left for me!"

"Thrill?!" I screeched, still shaking from the traumatic experience that was Alice Cullen behind the wheel of a car. "I just about thrilled my lunch all over the back of your Porsche! I just about thrilled myself into an early grave!"

A rumbling laugh behind me drew me up short as heat spiked through me like a Pavlovian response. _Damn that sexy fucking laugh!_ I was not done being mad and terrified, but when a cool, _shapely_ , body pressed against my back and toned arms wrapped around my middle, I practically melted into a puddle right there. _Speaking of puddles,_ I couldn't help my body's reaction to the woman whose breasts I could feel pressing into my shoulder-blades. I had gone from terrified and contemplating my own mortality, to viciously aroused in a fraction of a second. I was getting whiplash!

"Calm yourself, Bella-mou," she murmured, her smoky voice vibrating _right_ into my ear, and dear gods I think I was only standing at that point because of her arms around me. "Let the little pipsqueak have her thrills. I promise, we'll keep you safe, always."

And I just, _damn_! How could these two women scare the living daylights out of me and make me feel the safest I've ever felt all in the same breath? "You're both so unfair! I can't stay mad at you and that is just not _fair!_ "

"What you consider 'unfair,' I consider fair game," Rosalie returned, a deep breath following her retreat from behind me until she and Alice were both standing in front of me.

"Is that what this is, a game?" Shit, I did not mean for that to come out, but now that I'd said, my old anxieties reared their ugly head. I was about to apologize before both girls cringed and took one of my hands into each of theirs.

"Not at all!" Alice exclaimed vehemently, looking contrite while practically vibrating with emotion. "Please don't think this is just us playing with you!"

Rosalie's brows were furrowed as she gently caressed my hand. "No games, little darling. I promise. I'm very intrigued by you," she murmured. She then leaned in and suddenly cold, soft lips were pressed against my cheek, which predictably flushed with heat.

Not a moment had passed from when Rosalie withdrew than my other cheek was being graced with another equally soft and equally cold pair of lips. Alice lingered a half second longer than Rosalie but the effect was still the same. I was a barely-standing ball of unfocused tension, pretty much dead on my feet. Seriously, it was a miracle I was still standing.

Rosalie clearing her throat brought me out of my hormone-induced stupor. "We'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Yeah," Alice chimed in, further bringing feeling back to my legs as I realized how tired I suddenly was. "We'll wait to make sure you get inside."

Smiling, I decided at the last second to return the favor. I leaped forward, leaning up to leave a quick chaste kiss to Rosalie's cheek, then down to repeat the process to Alice's cheek. Then I did what any smooth, suave woman would do.

I ran into the house without a backwards glance, only stopping to breathe when the door was between me and my ever-developing crushes.


	3. Chapter 3: Bonding

** Alice **

After we arrived back home, we were immediately intercepted by Esme who gave us an earful for attacking Edward. Her focus was on the attack itself until we informed her of the source of our ire. Then she just went on to berate us for openly demonstrating our otherworldly strength in public, which we also consoled her by iterating that we were the last students in the lot.

"Fine," she ground to a halt, still looking irritated. "But Rosalie, you have _got_ to learn to control your instincts where your mate is concerned. Things are going to be difficult as it is since the girl is human, we don't need to add the risk of exposure to the list."

"Yes, Esme," we both chimed at the same time, a crinkling at the corner of Esme's eyes when she looked at me to include me in her glare reminding me she knew about Bella also being my mate. Rosalie and I would need to be more careful until the time comes where we can induct Bella into our world.

"And ladies?" Esme's voice pulled us up short as we turned to leave. "Edward knows what every one of us look like naked. Try not to fault him for something he can't control."

I couldn't help but snicker as we continued on our way up to our room. "That _poor dear_ ," I cried out dramatically.

"Yes," Rosalie replied, "It would be a mercy if we just put him out of his misery."

I was full-on laughing as I tumbled onto our bed, snorting as Edward's voice filtered in from his room on the second floor. _"I know where you don't sleep!"_

"Yeah, and we know where you sulk!" Rosalie called back with a smirk as she took up her place on the loveseat.

 _"I don't sulk, I brood!"_ he shot back. _"Stop laughing Alice! I know who your mate is!"_

"I will end you!" I screamed back, out of the room and down a flight of stairs in an instance just as his door slammed in my face. His high-pitched giggle from the other side of the door almost had me tearing through the barrier to get at him before Esme's voice drifted to me from downstairs. 

_"If you break that door, I will let Emmett choose your outfits for the next month!"_ I froze, my hand hovering in front of the door like a dead weight. Oh that was just evil!

"I know your secret," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear, his gasp satisfying as I grinned at the wood.

 _"Do it, do it, do it!"_ was Emmett's two-cents, and I'll admit I was sorely tempted. But fashion eventually won out over the need to throttle my asshole of a brother.

Growling, I returned to my room, pouting while Rosalie hummed from her seat. "I would threaten to scratch up his Volvo if I didn't know you would have to fix it." The blonde's chuckle was enough to raise my spirits a bit. Any sign of happiness from Rosalie was more than enough to soothe any irritation I was feeling. It was a sign of the changes finding her mate was having on her, the freely given smiles and teasing words was something that had once been withheld even from Emmett when they were dating.

Smiling softly, I tossed a pillow at the woman who deftly snatched it out of the air, swiftly tucking it behind her head. "Thanks. Say, what do you think about inviting Bella over this weekend?"

The question caught me off guard, but a quick glimpse into the future brought another pout to my lips. "Sadly, the sun is going to be out starting Friday afternoon lasting until Sunday, so we're going to have to skip out on school."

Rosalie's sigh was heavy and I completely understood. I wanted to spend as much time with our mate as possible, and having to take off from school meant a whole day and a weekend without the beautiful brunette. Sometimes being a vampire really sucks.

"Being a vampire sucks," Rosalie repeated aloud, drawing a giggle from me as I thought of the coming days. I was planning out my current wardrobe, what outfits I could put together in order to best entice _ma belle_ and draw out more of those adorable little blushes. We had to enjoy them while they lasted, considering vampires can't blush.

"Yeah, but just think," I added, "Eventually our little Bella is going to become one of us and then we'll never have to worry about her being separated from us again."

Rosalie's sigh was somehow both heavy and light with emotion, a feat I'm sure only the blonde could pull off. "I still worry about that. I want her to join us, don't get me wrong, but I don't want her to wind up hating me for taking her away from her family and friends. She'll have to come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to watch the people she loves grow old and die while she's stuck with us."

Nodding, I watched Rosalie's gaze turn distant. It was one of the few downfalls of being immortal, having to experience the pain of losing everyone to time while remaining frozen in stone. "I happen to think she'll take to being immortal with gusto! She's a strong person, so willing to stand up for her beliefs and ideals despite the thoughts and opinions of others. I'm sure that will translate over into being a vampire."

Rosalie pursed her lips before a small smile lifted them. "You're right, pipsqueak. Bella has an incredibly strong will for a human. I look forward to whatever tomorrow brings, so long as she'll be there waiting."

My smile was just as soft as I continued to observe the other woman. Whispering half to myself, I murmured, "Whatever tomorrow brings..."

** Bella **

The next few days followed a similar pattern in that I was suddenly inundated with the overwhelming attention from my two personal goddesses, as well as half the male seniors. I'd already had to field requests for dates from both Eric and Mike, both of which didn't seem to know how to take 'no' for an answer.

Luckily I still had classes with my two lovely ladies, whom I still had no clue how I of all people had drawn their attentions. Alice was as straight-forward and upfront with her interest as someone can get, while Rosalie simply stated her thoughts bluntly and without even a hint of hesitation. Well, if I looked even half as gorgeous as she did, I would have a bit of an ego as well. Still, my face had taken on a perpetual flush around the two girls, especially since Rosalie had taken it upon herself to walk me to half of my classes for the first part of the day, and Alice covered the second half of the day after lunch.

They still sat with their family at their usual table, but they would spend most of the lunch period shooting either texts or looks across the cafeteria. Hell, even Lauren had picked up on the attention I was getting, her snide comments about me being 'stringing along every boy and girl in the school' making me roll my eyes. I refused to acknowledge her bitchy attitude, considering the only individuals I cared about were sitting across the room from me, shooting glares at the girl at my side as if they had overheard.

I had begun to notice things like that these last few days. Not only did my ladies seem to always know what was going on around both themselves and me, but they reacted to things outside of their field of purview. For instance, the death glare Rosalie was shooting Lauren as if she knew exactly what she'd just said to me. Or the way they always seemed to be there when I started to trip or fall over perfectly offensive surfaces. 

And the ice cold feel of their skin, or the matching golden-hued eyes. The solid feel of their bodies (Alice seemed to find every excuse to press or lean up against me), so strong in a way that belied their delicate femininity. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I mean, it's normal to look for flaws in otherwise flawless individuals. Hell, even their brothers were gorgeous, perfect in ways that no mere mortal should be.

I got so used to seeing the girls, hanging off their proffered arms while being escorted between classes. So it came as a shock when Friday came around and neither girl was waiting for me in the parking lot that morning. A quick check of my phone revealed apology texts coming in simultaneously.

 **Eris:** _'I'm so sorry! I completely forgot we had planned a family camping trip this weekend!'_

 **Satan:** _'Please forgive me for not being there this morning. Our family pulls out of school on clear days to take a family retreat together.'_

Not gonna lie, I had a pout on my lips to rival Alice after reading their messages. How do you forget to let someone know you were going off on a _planned_ family event? I could understand Alice forgetting, the girl was a bit all over the place at times, but Rosalie? I doubt that girl would forget what the temperature was three weeks prior. 

Then I realized how I was acting and sighed. I shook my head at my childish reaction before shooting off a reply to both girls. _'Oh how shall I cope without the presence of my own personal goddesses?! Woe is me, woe is me!'_

I had to remind myself that these girls, while perfect and beautiful and so sweetly attentive, were not mine. I had no claim to them and, despite their assurances that they actively _did_ want to be my friend, they were their own people and I would just have to learn to walk myself to classes for the day. I could do that.

By the time lunch came around, I was in a right foul mood. I don't know how I had gotten so used to having those two around so quickly, but somehow everything felt dim without them here. Like, everything I had come to enjoy about my school experience was missing, all because of these two girls.

I was slumped into my seat at the lunch table, picking at the pizza I had chosen (not like the school cooked anything else worthy of being called 'food'). It was Lauren who eventually butted her smug nose in when she noticed my sour mood.

"Missing the Cullens?" I swear, if I wasn't so down I would have gladly smacked that smirk off her face. "Their dad always pulls them out of school when its a clear day. Something about the family 'enjoying the splendor of nature' or some mess." She actually reached over and patted my hand patronizingly. "Don't worry, your little princesses will be back by Monday."

I glared at the girl, fist clenching into a solid fist as I prepared to break either her jaw or my hand, only to jerk at the sound of my phone going off. It was an incoming call from Rosalie's phone, a smile instantly breaking out over my face. I quickly tossed my leftover lunch and bolted out of the cafeteria before answering.

"To what do I owe the honor of your dulcet tones, Aphrodite?" Yeah, I still don't know where the hell this confidence was coming from, but you know, gift horses and all that.

 _"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?!"_ I found myself laughing at Alice's playfully irate tone in the background, while listening to the lovely sound of Rosalie's laughter rumbling in my ear. She had apparently put me on speaker.

"Isis, my little moon goddess! And how are you doing?"

The titillating giggle that followed was as adorable as it was enticing. _"We're doing okay, but we missed you so we decided to surprise you!"_

There was a sound of shuffling before Rosalie's voice vibrated through the line. _"Truly, what did we ever do before we met you, little darling?"_

Smirking, I had to look at the phone in disbelief before addressing that. "Probably led far more interesting and exciting lives. I am not a wealth of exhilaration, let's be honest here."

 _"I call bullshit,"_ Rosalie instantly replied, causing my mouth to gape at the crude response. 

_"Right!"_ I had to jerk my head away from the phone as Alice's voice nearly screeched directly into my ear. _"You're a fascinating and infinitely beautiful creature, ma belle! And we won't let anyone say differently, including you!"_

I found myself laughing even as the all-too-familiar blush heated my cheeks. "Fine, fine, I surrender. I throw myself on your mercy."

 _"Our 'mercy,' huh?"_ I almost groaned at the implied quotations, knowing that whatever was about to come out of Alice's mouth was going to jumble my brain. _"Is that what you want to throw yourself on?"_

Predictably, there went my last two brain cells exploding into a hormone-induced meltdown. All I could do was struggle past the lump that was now solidly caught in my throat, my mind filled with all the possible places I'd _like_ to throw myself. 

_"I think you broke her,"_ came Rosalie's chuckled response and I swear my body clenched at the sound being projected _right into my ear_.

"You're both going to be the death of me," I eventually gasped out, voice breathy in a way that was totally beyond my control. 

Rosalie's voice wasn't quite enough to drown out Alice's _"la petit mort!"_ as the blonde seemed to move the phone away from the pixie girl. _"I think we both knew that was coming, so I'm just going to apologize for my sister's mind residing in the gutter and wish you well on the rest of your school day."_

Almost as if she'd planned it, the bell rang for the end of lunch. Laughing at the timing, as well as blushing furiously at Alice's not-so-candid sexual reference, I simply rolled my eyes. "Goodbye, my goddesses. Soak up some of that sunshine for me."

 _"Will do!"_ came Alice's perky voice once again closer to the phone, as if she hadn't just casually referenced having an orgasm. 

_"Goodbye, little darling. Feel free to call or text us if you have need."_ I couldn't keep the adoring smile from my face as I blew a kiss into the phone, pressing the End Call button right after.

With a heavy sigh, I tucked my phone away before turning towards the main building for my next class. These two girls are going to test every bit of restraint I possibly have. 

** Rosalie **

"Seriously, Alice? 'La petit mort'? That's how you decide to distract the girl?!" I wasn't really upset, but damn. Alice should know better! I know she means well but I didn't want her pushing my mate away with her overenthusiastic way with words.

"Hey," she protested with a pout, "I said we needed to call her before she got into a fight. I didn't say _how_ we would distract her. Besides," she grinned suddenly, "Did you hear that catch in her breath? Little Bella already has experience with that little death."

Groaning at _that_ thought, because thanks Alice, I let my head thud back against the tree I was sitting against. Alice and I had decided to go for a hunt together, something we'd been doing more and more this week. We had been relaxing after cleaning up our kills when Alice's eyes had glazed over in the usual manner when she had a vision.

It only lasted a few seconds but as soon as her face cleared, she was grabbing me and tearing her way towards the edge of the town. "We need cell service!" she'd briefly explained when I asked what was going on. 

When we finally got back in service range, we were still on the outskirts of the town, with several yards of forest to continue to hide in. "Call her," Alice had demanded. "We need to distract her before she gets into a fight."

Growling, I had dialed her almost immediately, hating that I had had to leave my mate to whatever fate was about to befall her. It wasn't until after the call ended that Alice finally went into more detail, only expounding on my hatred for the little twat named Lauren.

"Bella was about to punch another girl for mocking her about missing us." This brought a smile to my face, thinking on the fiery nature of my little Bella-mou. "Unfortunately, this would have gotten her suspended for three days and I absolutely _refuse_ to miss out on the opportunity to see our Bella."

Nodding, I pulled her into a side hug. These instances of initiating physical contact were becoming more and more frequent as well, at least with Alice. Somehow, just the very existence of Bella as my mate had shifted something within me. I felt warm, and filled with this happy little light that I could only attribute to Bella. My smile came easier now, whereas before it had been forced at the best of times, and nonexistent more often than not. 

I had grown so used to hiding behind my sneering mask of indifference that when I'd seen the girl across the cafeteria that first day, it was like I could literally feel the ice shattering from around my heart. Where before there was anger and distance, there was suddenly closeness and love. 

Love. That was a word I had long ago tossed aside. Oh, I loved my family, but I also knew that I had to keep them at a distance. Not only for myself, but for their protection as well. Things broke around me. People changed, hearts soured, love _failed._ Then Bella Swan had come barreling through in her clumsy, klutzy way and uprooted every single defense I thought would never fall. 

I knew Alice could see it, too. She was almost attached at my hip these days, especially during the weekend I had to spend away from Bella. I found myself drawing comfort from the pipsqueak, her near constant presence and open affection welcome now in a way it had never been before. I trusted her above all else, save for Bella. I knew she, too, would protect Bella with her very last unnecessary breath. 

Bella liked Alice, too. It was plain to see, but I didn't feel threatened by it. If Alice's presence in the girl's life was a positive boon then I saw no reason to worry. My mate was so perfect and with every little bit I learned about her, the more I fell for her.

And fall for her I was, no mistake about it. She might be my destined mate, but she was so much more! She was funny, and sarcastic, and intelligent, and so many things--I could go on and on and still never run out of positive things to say about her. But she was also self-conscious about her looks and I couldn't stand to see the doubt that sometimes appeared in her eyes when she peered at us.

But then again, her stubbornness could rival Alice's and that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying, because I knew if the girl asked, I would do just about anything for her. And that in itself was terrifying, because I had to be so very careful. With her being a human, our interactions had to be slow and deliberate, because just the slightest pressure could break the girl without even thinking. 

I can't wait for the day when such restraint wouldn't be necessary anymore, but for the time being I was going to enjoy the hunt. Because whether the girl knew it or not, I was an apex predator and she was my most desired prey. 

With a feral grin, I let loose a chuckle that was matched by Alice at my side. Yes, this was going to be fun.

** Alice **

I honestly could watch Rosalie all day long when it was just the two of us, when she let down the last of her defenses and was just...Rosalie. The purely happy, excited, loving woman that Bella inspired her to be. I had taken to guessing what was going through that pretty blonde head of hers during the times her expressions began to change with her inner-monologue. 

The grin she settled on in the end was easy for me to put to thought, and when she chuckled I couldn't help but match it with my own. Oh yes, I couldn't wait to continue our little seduction of one Bella Swan. Because that was what we were doing at this point.

Admittedly, I didn't think we would fall this easily into courting the girl, but our interactions with Bella just came so easily that our instincts insisted we stake our claim in some way. I don't think Bella quite understood just how _interested_ we were in her, but the last few days definitely showed a definitive progression in our pursuits. That little 'la petit mort' I let slip earlier was definitely pushing it but I couldn't help myself. 

If I was honest with myself, I couldn't quite get the image of a half-naked Bella out of my head most nights. Gods, she was gorgeous. That girl hid a luscious body beneath her baggy clothing and I'll be damned if I wasn't going to talk that girl into modelling some new outfits as soon as possible. I already had the designs drawn up in my head, I just needed to begin working on them. Maybe that would distract me from thinking about the beautiful body I was attempting to cover up.

Groaning, I leaped to my feet. "Let's head back. The others are going to start wondering if we've snuck off to see Bella."

Rosalie's chuckle followed me as we began making our way back. "I can't say I haven't thought about it, but we can't reveal ourselves just yet. Despite the fact that she's already _revealed_ herself to you. I'm still jealous over that!"

I laughed at my sister's plight, moving swiftly through the wooded area. "I'm sure if you asked nicely, little Bella would gladly strip for you." I dodged to the left around a large tree just as Rosalie's clawed hand swiped at me.

"Brat!" she yelled, the nearly silent sound of her footfalls gaining on me quickly. I barely had time to brace myself before strong arms tackled me down into the underbrush, a carefree laugh echoing from me into the surrounding woods.

I turned over onto my back beneath her, smiling happily up at the grinning blonde. I swept her hair back behind her ear, earning me a soft, loving look. "Your smile is so precious," I murmured, my chest warming as I thought of how that very smile came from Bella. "You could steal that girl's heart with it."

The look on her face went from smiling shyly to frowning in confusion. "Why are you so adamant about helping me with Bella? Wouldn't you rather focus on your own mate?"

I couldn't help the little giggle that left my lips. "You don't see everything, _mon fleur_. I _have_ been wooing my mate. I don't think you would notice if the world was ending around you, with Bella in front of you." 

I laughed at the silly grin that spread across her lips. "You're probably right. That girl just draws me in with every single part of her. Her smile, her laugh, gods her _smell_!" She cut off with a groan, a shared shudder passing between us as I could just imagine that delectable scent. "Anyway, before you sidetrack me with thoughts of Bella," she glared playfully down at me, and it was only then that I realized she was still practically on top of me. "If you need help with your mate, I wouldn't mind returning the favor. It's only fair."

It was strange in a way that wasn't strange at all, but I was entirely comfortable with this woman's weight resting on top of me. Again, it would seem that this shared mate thing had us both completely relaxed in each others' presence. "I'll keep that in mind, but for now let us focus our attention on Bella. As I'm sure that is _sooo_ hard for you to do."

Rosalie's snort was both delicate and derisive in a playful way that was still so strange to see in the formerly closed-off woman. "As if that girl would ever be far from my thoughts." With that she finally leaped to her feet, offering me her hand. Taking it, I jumped up to stand beside her before we both began making our way back to the house.

** Bella **

Gym was hell that Friday. Normally, I would be teaming up with Alice and Emmett (who, it turns out, is a giant man-child who loves gaming and hates sports) with whatever sport we were being forced into by the Coach. Only, now I was practically alone and today was the illustrious dodgeball day we'd been promised ( _threatened_ ).

I groaned for the third time that period as I failed to dodge a vicious throw from Lauren who appeared to have some kind of vendetta against me. I have no idea what I did to piss this girl off but I'll be damned if every single out I received during the game didn't come from her. At least the early bashings I was receiving from the annoying rubber balls was giving me plenty of time to sit in the stands and text my ladies.

 **Eris:** _'My life simply has no meaning without you!'_

I smirked and rolled my eyes as I replied. _'Dramatic much? I mean, surely the Cullen ladies can survive a few days without all of this *gestures at my dirty gym pants and sweat-stained t-shirt*'_

I was having fun with the back-and-forth with Alice but even I had to admit I was missing those girls something fierce. Made that much worse by Rosalie's text.

 **Satan:** _'I miss you. As the flower misses the sun upon its setting."_

 _Fuck._ I had to swallow against the lump that rose up in my throat. Holy shit, how do I come back from that?! _'A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, but my rose is delicate and her thorns more than worth pricking for.'_

I had to blink several times as I reread the text I'd just sent. I'm just going to give up wondering about how fucking smooth I've become with these two, 'cause it's gotten bloody ridiculous. 

**Eris:** _'Sorry, dirty girl, but I've seen you mostly naked. I know what you hide beneath that atrocious attire.'_

The sound of my choking drew a few curious glances as I felt myself flush, this heat having nothing to do with the day's physical exertions and _everything_ to do with Alice friggin' Cullen! Before I could even begin to think of a reply to that (because, yeah, even I'm not smooth enough to have a comeback to _that_ right away), a new text arrived from Rosalie.

 **Satan:** _'Roses, red and glowing, amongst the thorns are growing. All the thorns I keep for me, all the roses are for thee.'_

Not gonna lie, I swooned a bit. If it weren't for the gathered students around me, I probably would have released a most pathetic squeal, but I settled for just grinning like a love-sick fool. Because seriously, if I wasn't already half in-love with these girls then I don't know what.

First, to address Alice. _'Are you literally trying to kill me here? I think every ounce of blood in my body just flooded my face. You can't just **say** things like that!' _There, that was a reasonable reply, right?

I had to stop and really think of a good reply for Rosalie as well. We were on some sort of poetic streak and I didn't want to break it. But I also wanted to one-up her and see if I could throw the girl off the way she and her sister were prone to do for me.

 _'And would you spare a rose for a gentle heart, yearning to feel the pain of unbridled love?'_ I had to pause in my writing several times, reading and rereading my freestyle poem before finally sending it off as is. Who knew I had a poet's heart in me?

The bleat of the Coach's whistle drew everyone's attention. "Alright, that's it for today! Make sure you keep up your warm-ups at home this weekend and I'll see you all on Monday!" And with that, we all made our way to the locker rooms to change. 

I was out in the parking lot waiting for Charlie when Mike called me over to his group. Sighing, I joined them with a small smile, trying hide my annoyance at seeing Lauren there. But with Angela also there, I felt more relaxed, which was probably why I missed Mike's initial question.

"What?" I asked when I realized they were all staring at me, awaiting an answer.

"I said," Mike said with a laugh, "A bunch of us are heading down to La Push this weekend for some beach time. I asked if you wanted to join us." His easy, confident smile was almost endearing, if not for the leers I've caught coming my way when he didn't think I was looking. 

"Um, I don't know. Me and water don't get along." The last time I'd gone swimming, I'd slipped and nearly broke my arm on the side of the pool. I wasn't even _in_ the water!

"It'll be fine," came Angela's quiet, shy tone. "We don't always go in the water. I just go for the scenery." I would have laughed at the way her eyes drifted over to another male student (Ben, I think his name was) before looking down at her hands. 

"Yeah, come on, Bella!" came Eric's overenthusiastic addition. "It'll be fun, I promise." 

Finally giving up, I decided to go with them. Since I still didn't have a ride of my own, Angela volunteered to pick me up tomorrow at noon. I think the only reason I agreed to this outing was to get my mind off of missing a certain pair of wondrously beautiful sisters. _Gods I'm pathetic._

* * *

It was nearly four by the time we got home. When we pulled into the driveway, there were two other vehicles parked there already. One was an old rusty truck that I wouldn't be able to name for the life of me. _I bet Rosalie would know._ Ugh, I managed to go without thinking of them for about half an hour this time, personal best.

That was a bit of info we'd exchanged in the interim of the last few days. Apparently, Rosalie was a car-nut, spending her spare time actually working on the vehicles her family owned. Like, this woman wasn't just hot, she was sexy grease-monkey hot. I didn't even know that would be a _type_ for me! And then there was Alice, who was a literal fashionista who designed her own clothes in her spare time.

When we got out, Charlie was walking over to the truck. "What do you think?" he asked, leaning casually against it. 

"Uh, what do I think about what?" I blinked, unsure of where Charlie was going with this.

"Well, I can't keep taking you back and forth to school, so I thought it was about time you had a pair of wheels of your own." He slapped the side of the truck for effect, my gaze settling on the vehicle for several seconds before it finally set in. 

"You got me a truck?!" I practically shouted, causing Charlie to wince.

His smile looked strange on his face but I have to give him A for effort. Before he could comment, a young man stepped out of the other car nearby, helping what looked to be an older Native American gentleman into a wheelchair. "Actually," Charlie continued, "I bought it off of Billy here, but it didn't get running until today."

Slowly, Billy wheeled himself forward, a kind, easy smile on his wrinkled, tanned face. "Hey there, Bella. Billy Black," he offered his hand which I shook, meeting his black eyes with a confused smile. "Boy, last time I saw you you were a little thing."

Turning, Billy addressed the young man at his side, a black-haired boy of similar complexion to the old man. "You remember my son, Jacob?"

There was definitely something familiar about him, but I couldn't place it. He had very gorgeous features, gentle yet solid, his long jet-black hair almost framing his face. "We used to make mud-pies together," the boy laughed, and I had a vague recollection, but seriously, they couldn't really expect me to remember something from that long ago.

"Bella," I said, shaking his proffered hand before addressing Billy again. "Thanks for the truck." I jolted, then turned to my dad, "You too, of course, you bought it." 

The men laughed at my awkward fumbling before Billy gestured to Jacob. "It's Jacob you should really thank. He's the one who got her running."

I felt my eyes widen as I returned my gaze to Jacob, his boyish smile almost bashful as he scratched the back of his head. "I rebuilt the engine. Why don't you fire it up!" 

And that's how I wound up with my very first car--truck, whatever. I spent a little more time talking with Jacob while Charlie dragged Billy (literally) up the stairs into the house. Eventually, I was able to sneak away to my room, claiming exhaustion from Gym. The first thing I did was toss my new set of keys into my beside table, reaching for my phone.

 **Eris:** _'Are we sure **that's** where your blood was pooling? Are we 100% certain?'  
'Oh come on, **that's** stepping over the line?'  
'I'm sorry, please love me! :_( '_

I had to force back a harsh laugh at the girl's antics, my face once again taking on its new shade of red. _'Calm down, Tiny Goddess, I just got home from school. Dad got me a new truck! Yesss, freedom!'_ I was half tempted to ask if I could come visit them now, but I felt that might be pushing a little. If they wanted to see me, then they would invite me over, right?

 **Satan:** _'And so I wait for you like a lonely house  
till you will see me again and live in me.  
Till then my windows ache.'_

And just... _fuck_. This blonde goddess was not going to make this easy on me, was she? This felt deep, far deeper than two friends of barely a week of knowing each other should be talking. So why, then, did it feel so perfectly natural to embrace these feelings and return them? And I knew just which sonnet to send back. 

_Take this, Aphrodite!_

** Rosalie **

The ping of my phone going off brought a smile to my face as I prepared myself for what Bella would come up with next.

 **Bella-mou: _'_** _Only do not forget, if I wake up crying  
it's only because in my dream I'm a lost child  
hunting through the leaves of the night for your hands...'_

Oh hell, this girl was going to be the end of me. The warmth spreading through my chest was so overwhelming, so all-consuming that I had to hold back a gasp. Pablo Neruda was one of my favorite poets, and not only had she recognized my use of one of his sonnets but had chosen one to return so quickly that she had to have known it off the top of her head. 

I was in love.

That was it, it was simply inevitable from the moment I met her eyes, but I never expected it to come upon me so quickly. I didn't expect it to fill me with so much emotion that my eyes water with tears that would never fall. I didn't know that it could be so... _everything_...that my empty, shallow existence could be filled so irrevocably and completely with all that is _Bella._

Gods, why did it have to be a clear day all weekend?! I wanted-- _needed_ my mate with me. I wanted to feel her warm arms around me. I wanted to wrap her up against me and never let her go. This ache was so painful, I was sure my chest would crumble beneath the avalanche of _feeling_. I hardly noticed when Alice giggled from her place on the bed.

And so I did the only thing I could, I sent another text, putting my heart on the line with bated breath burning with a love so profound I knew no other way to express it.

** Bella **

I had waited a while for Rosalie's reply that I had almost given up. Alice, on the other hand, was quick to come back.

 **Eris:** _'So you're saying you **do** love me?! I could flyyyyy!!!'_

I could only smirk playfully at the girl's text. If only she knew. Actually, _'If you only knew...'_ Fuck it, if I was in for a penny, might as well go in for a pound.

Her immediate response surprised me, only for me to laugh at the brief, _'Eep!'_ she'd sent. Seems like I could turn the tables just as easily as they could. _Score 1, Bella._

I was riding high on my little victory, until Rosalie's reply pinged my phone.

 **Satan:** _'I do not love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz  
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:  
I love you as certain dark things are loved,  
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.'_

The heavy pulsing of my heart was the only sound in the room. So quiet, so steady, yet suddenly _thudding_ in a way it hadn't before. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_ It was official, I was completely broken, shattered into pieces by something as simple as words. Words that held meaning. Words that _felt._ Words that I struggled to endure as they breathed new life into my heart.

Part of me knew that we were in a sort of competition of prose. Part of me knew this more than likely was just more playful banter and it couldn't possibly hold weight. Not for her, not for the blonde goddess of a woman whom I still couldn't understand why she was my friend in the first place. 

But I _felt_ them, like a stone pulling me deeper and deeper into depths I never expected to even _contemplate_ , let alone _experience first hand_. I didn't know what to do, what to say. I was halfway convinced this was just a furthering of our weird friendship and teasing. I simply couldn't reconcile the idea that this could have _meaning_. 

And so, with nothing more than my beating heart and _feelings_ jumbling together in my mind, I sent one last text for the night.

_'I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.  
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;  
so I love you because I know no other way  
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,  
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,  
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.'_


	4. Chapter 4: The Questions

** Bella **

We didn't talk about it. The night ended on a soft note of sweet words that lead me unsuspectingly into sleep. I think the absolute _high_ I was riding wound up sneaking up on me, because one minute I was texting my unattainable lady loves, and the next it was late morning and I was groaning under the weight of the sun's rays peeking in between my curtains.

My phone vibrated from my side and I grumbled as I pulled it blearily up to my half-open gaze. It was a text from Angela, reminding me of our trip to La Push and that she would be there to pick me up at noon. Groaning, I flipped over onto my back, scrubbing my weary face with my hand. Gods, I didn't realize how tired I was yesterday, cause I felt like I'd slept like a log.

It took me only a second of coherent thought to switch to my other texts, smiling at the ones I'd been sent by the Cullen ladies.

**Eris:** _'Good morning, ma belle!'  
_

**Satan:** _'Sleep well, and may night keep you and ferry you swiftly to my arms upon the morrow.'  
'Good morning, sleepyhead.'_

Oh dear heavens, I seriously needed to figure out which gods I had pleased so I could start worshiping at their altars. My first text was to Alice since hers was much easier to address. _'Good morning, Tiny Goddess! How is your weekend retreat going?'_

My next text was to Rosalie, a warm small tilting my lips. _'The night keeps me, and upon your smile I now see the dawn.'_

I was half-tempted to play Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal' while taking a shower, but decided against it. I didn't want to jinx myself, and knowing my luck I was overdo for some backlash from the outright decadence I was being showered with from my ladies.

A warning text from Angela let me know she was on her way. I was just finishing up getting dressed and rolling my eyes at the horn that blew a few minutes later. I was not looking forward to this trip but I knew I needed to at least attempt to socialize with someone other than the Cullen herd. At least I knew I would have plenty of texts from my ladies to answer throughout the trip, so it wasn't an entire bust.

** Rosalie **

The sound of sniffling was the first thing I noticed as I returned from the garage. I'd decided to tune up all of the vehicles for the cold months that were to come, and by the time I was finished it was late into the afternoon. My instincts sent me straight to my shared room with Alice, finding the girl practically balling her eyes out over her pillow. Her watery eyes looked up the moment I entered the room and I was at her side in an instance. 

"What's wrong, Ali?" I murmured, stroking the girl's hair as I took in her pathetic state. She looked completely devastated and I knew it had to have been some kind of vision since she hadn't left the house for the day.

The girl sniffled at my side, handing her phone to me in lieu of an explanation. What I saw was a mess of texts from her to Bella since earlier in the afternoon.

_'Hey, how's your day going?'  
'Bella? Answer me, please!'  
'Tell me you're okay, please tell me you're okay!'  
'Ma belle, je suis désolé! Please, just let me know you're safe!'_

I could practically feel my sister's desperation the more time passed between each texts, until finally Bella had sent a response.

**Ma Belle:** _'Hey, sorry! I was down in La Push with some kids from school and I lost signal! I'm okay, but this whole trip was weird and I miss you both so much!'_

Knowing what must have happened, I quickly checked her call log only to find at least a dozen attempts to reach Bella. Tossing the phone aside, I lowered myself to the bed, pulling Alice's trembling figure securely into my lap. "Tell me what you saw, Ali." I knew she had to have seen something that sent her spiraling like this and I needed to get to the bottom of it quickly.

A mighty sniffle precluded Alice's shaky voice. "I was texting Bella good morning, and then sometime around noon her future went dark! It was like she was gone completely and I couldn't see her anymore!"

Growling, I finally knew what had happened. "Those fucking mutts!" Bella had gone to the one place our family wasn't allowed, and had obviously interacted with one the wolves. Alice's visions went blank around the Quileute wolf shifters, which meant that Alice had thought that my darling Bella had somehow died. "It's okay, Alice, Bella's okay." 

"I thought we'd lost her!" Alice cried, her body shaking with renewed sobs and I felt my heart shatter beneath her anguish. The burden of her 'sight' was a heavy one, I always knew, but to hear the outright terror in her voice was more than even I could handle. I could feel my own eyes welling with tears that couldn't fall, pulling the smaller girl closer against me for both comfort and reassurance. 

"Bella is safe, we both read her text. It was just the wolves messing with your sight." Even as I spoke the words, I felt a deadly fury welling up within me. How dare those fucking mutts talk to my mate! My Bella was unsullied and pure, a sweet and precious soul. Those wolves were nothing but animals, no better than their base desires and I refused to allow my little darling to associate with them!

"We'll have to make sure we keep a better eye on her," I murmured, still rocking the now-still girl. "I don't want her being around those despicable mongrels if I can help it."

Alice nodded, finally pulling away with one last sniffle. "We'll keep her safe," she whispered fervently. "Whatever it takes."

Nodding, I could only silently agree. _Whatever it takes._

** Bella **

My day was, admittedly, weird. Not because I was awkward around the gathered kids from school (although, that was almost painfully obvious). No, it was the tales Jacob had left me with. Tales of the Cold Ones. Tales of blood drinkers. Things that, while could easily have been dismissed as folk lore, hit far too many check marks for me to simply ignore. 

And so, without much thought to it, I was off the next day with Angela and Jessica for a day of shopping in Port Angeles. It was an excuse, at best, since my purpose had nothing to do with shopping for new outfits, and everything to do with _research._

The Quileute legends, on the surface wouldn't be anything more than the name suggest, _legends_. But the more I was able to pull up on the internet, the more I found myself intrigued for reasons that had everything to do with the Cullens. Key words kept popping out at me: _Cold skin, blood drinkers, strong and fast..._

_Vampires._

I knew that I was being irrational, that there was no way things like undead blood drinkers could possibly exist, even if they only fed on animals, according to the legends. But I also couldn't get the thought of both Alice and Rosalie's ice-cold skin and _solid_ bodies out of my mind. Those girls were impossibly strong and just undeniably beautiful--inhumanly so, if I was entirely honest with myself, but then again I was kind of biased since these two particular women were the epitome of gorgeous. I mean, you can't have the likeness of a goddess flirt with you and not think something about them seemed a bit...otherworldly. 

Still, as I purchased the book from the local shop I had lucked out on, I couldn't help but wonder. Was I just being paranoid, or was there something there? 

Unfortunately, I was also a moron and forgot that while my potential girlfriends might be some mythical undead creatures, I was in fact very mortal. Perhaps that was why I suddenly found myself surrounded by drunk assholes who didn't know the meaning of 'personal boundaries.' 

"Come on, baby," one of the guys slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol and unchecked gingivitis. "We'll show you a good time if you show us a good time."

While that statement made absolutely no sense, I knew I was kind of in a _very_ fucked up situation. I started going over all of the self-defense lessons my mom had had the foresight to instill in me over the years. Palm to the nose, break and incapacitate. Knee to the groin. Grab the groin and squeeze if necessary. Slam both palms down as hard as possible on both sides of the head, to the ears.

Luckily, I was saved from having to sully my admittedly weak hands by the arrival of an oh-so-familiar canary-yellow Porsche. A vehicle that pulled _right_ up to me, sending the men scattering around and away from me. Before I could even begin to move, both doors opened, my own personal savior Goddesses unfolding from its depths like glorious, _deadly,_ blooms. And I say _deadly_ with the utmost seriousness, because I had no doubt in my mind that the black-eyed gazes being leveled at the men that surrounded me was anything less than _willingness to commit_.

"Get in the car," Rosalie growled-- _growled,_ as in a feral sound rumbling from the depths of her throat that had me snapping into action immediately as I lunged for the open door. I was also distractedly _aroused_ but that could wait for another day because holy shit what even is my life anymore?!

I could hear their words like distant murmurs, but the message was clear. The men, gathering the remainder of their courage I suppose, decided to try and move in on the two women. _Big mistake,_ I thought, as Rosalie quickly lashed out at the man who had been verbally accosting me before. And when I say _quickly_ , I mean, I blinked and the man was hurtling across the parking lot by several feet, a cry of surprise and more than likely pain echoing into the night. 

Needless to say, the other men were already hightailing it out of there, leaving their injured buddy to attempt to regain his feet, one hand clutching at his chest, which more than likely featured more than one broken rib, judging by his glorious tears. Hey, I never said I wasn't a vindictive person. Bastards deserve that and worse!

Both women were seated in the vehicle in an instant, Rosalie at the wheel for once as the car spun a quick reverse, speeding off down the road before I could even take a breath. 

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?!" Rosalie snarled, her voice rough with an edge I had never before even contemplated the blonde being capable of. A glance into the rear-view mirror showed pitch-black eyes staring back at me, waiting for me to answer.

"I, um, I just," I swallowed around the lump in my throat, suddenly unsure in the face of a pissed off Rosalie Hale. Oh, she was absolutely beautiful in her fury, but it was difficult to appreciate with all that anger aimed in my direction.

"Calm down," came Alice's voice, and I had to blink at the similarly rough sound coming from the pint-size woman. "This won't help." 

Rosalie's growl sounded both deep and painful as her grip on the steering wheel tightened to the point that the metal within groaned. "Do you know what would have happened if we hadn't gotten here in time?!" Oh yeah, she was pissed.

I had to clear my throat several times before I could respond. "I didn't think I would encounter a bunch of drunk assholes, that's for sure." 

"You didn't _think_ , clearly," was Rosalie's caustic response, and I couldn't help the wide-eyed look I sent her. I had never heard Rosalie speak to me in that tone, never once seen the woman anything other than tender and sweet. And after our texts the other night, I was sure we had made some kind of emotional headway into relationship territory.

I sat back, feeling my heart ache as I crossed my arms over my chest. "If that's what you really think of me, then why even bother showing up?"

The car lurched to a stop so suddenly I was barely able to catch myself on the headrests before I wound up through the windshield. We had come to a stop on the side of the road near some closed businesses, the only source of light coming from the city streetlamps. So, it was with quite a shock that I was met with the watery gaze of both women staring back at me with such fierce horror on their faces. 

"I...I..." I didn't know what to say, the looks I was getting were giving me no clue as to the girl's thoughts. "I didn't mean to worry you," I eventually whispered, staring down into my lap.

There was a shuffling noise and suddenly a pair of slim cold arms were wrapping me in a tight hug. How Alice had managed to cross the seat rest between the seats without so much as an awkward fumble was beyond me, but in that moment I didn't care. The terror of the events that had just transpired decided that was the opportune moment to catch up with me, a gasp leaving my chest as I felt tears well up in my eyes. 

Fuck, I could have been killed. Raped and left for dead, at best. Why the hell was I giving these two women shit for over my own horrible mistakes? I should be bowing and scraping on my knees, thanking them! 

Instead, all I could do is curl into the physically cold shoulder offered to me and cry, because fuck everything about my life. These two beautiful creatures were my life and my salvation, and I had nothing to offer in return except my own awkward stupidity. 

A shaky breath from the girl sitting flush against me pulled me up short, my tears slowly tapering off. "I'm so sorry!" I wailed, my fingers crushing the probably-expensive fabric of Alice's top. "Gods, if you hadn't been there, if you hadn't shown up, I don't--"

"Shh," came a whispered hush from my other side, and it slowly dawned on me that Rosalie had come in through the side door to pull me into her solid frame. Her arms around my waist, while Alice held me around my shoulders, was more than I could take and I just bawled.

It was rather pathetic, if I do say so myself, but hell if I could bring myself to care. The selfless nature of these two loving, giving women was more than I could bare, more than I deserved. But still they kept offering me more and more without the single hint of asking anything in return.

"Why?!" I couldn't help but choke out between sobs, "Why are you two so perfect?! What could you possibly see in me that you continue to seek me out?!" I didn't understand, _I didn't understand!_

"Bella," came Rosalie's firm voice, nearly instantly cutting into my quickly devolving sanity. "Bella, breathe with me, okay? Just breathe." And I did, the feeling of the blonde's chest rising and falling against me lulling me into its steady rhythm until my tears slowly stymied and my breathing began to normalize. "That's good, that's perfect, baby." My heart gave one of those desperate lurches at the term of endearment, but I couldn't help the way my body relaxed. 

Surrounded by the scent of these two perfect women, the sound of their slow breathing, I felt safe and secure for the first time since those men and chased me down. "Thank you," I whispered, knowing they could hear me. "I seriously don't deserve you two."

"Tough," Alice cut in, "You're stuck with us." And just...yes, I wanted that more than anything else in the world. 

"She's right," Rosalie added, her voice taking on that playful coyness I was just starting to get used to in her texts, "You're stuck with us and we're not going to let anything happen to you."

_Yeah,_ I thought with a slowly fading smile, _I could get used to this._

And then my world went black.

** Alice **

"Faster!" Rosalie yelled. My vision of Bella had warned me of the incoming danger, but when I had specified the source to Rosalie, I couldn't move fast enough to the car. "I will _not_ let those monsters have her!"

I didn't blame her. I knew well what Rosalie's Change had involved, what her ex-fiancé Royce and his friends had done to my beautiful, broken sister. So without hesitation we were speeding on our way to Port Angeles, my visions keeping us clear of any law enforcement that might impede our way. I'm just glad Rosalie knew how to push my car to its limits. 

I can't say I felt sorry for the man Rosalie had sent flying. He would need to go to the emergency room for care, but I highly doubted he would say anything about how he received his injury. The fact that two women had not only send him and his goons running but also interrupted their intended-rape of our mate was not something likely to leave their lips.

_They got off easy,_ my vampire side growled, and I agreed wholeheartedly. I had wanted to rip them limb from limb, right alongside Rosalie and her glorious fury. I had _seen_ what they were going to do to our mate and I wanted them to suffer. Only the fact of our mate being there, within clear view of the events, had stilled our hands. Still, it was a struggle not to make Rosalie turn the car around and let me go rip off their genitals and feed it to them. As small of a meal as it would have been.

_Think of something else,_ I thought, my mind going through several scenarios that in no way helped calm my intense rage. I had the curse of my foresight to show me not only what those men had intended to do, but what I could have done to them in return. Oh, how easy it would be to slip form the car while Rosalie saw to our mate's safety. 

Hearing Rosalie's harsh words and Bella's rebuttal was enough to snap me from my thoughts, literally lunging for the girl when we came to a stop. Now that the rage was coming to a simmer, I was left with the terror of what could have happened to our mate. Gods, I couldn't lose her, it would kill me, and no doubt shatter what remained of Rosalie.

The human girl's tears broke my long-still heart, my own eyes welling up with liquid that would never fall. I soon felt Rosalie on Bella's other side and slowly but surely we managed to calm both the girl and ourselves. I don't think Bella really understood just how close it had been. Hell, I could barely contemplate it and I had had front row seats to it in my head.

As soon as Bella passed out in our arms, I gasped out a quiet sob, trying not to crush the girl in my desperate grasps. "It was so close, Rose!" 

Rosalie's sigh was heavy as she leaned away slightly, drawing Bella's unconscious form into a more relaxed position against the seat. "I know, but we got there in time." She looked up to meet my gaze, the outright vulnerability there was unlike anything I had ever seen on her face before. "Thanks to you." She took one of my hands that was resting against Bella's front in hers and squeezed it. "Thank you, Ali, thank you so much!" 

We both had a good solid minute of emotional release in the form of sobs, holding one another over the resting form of our mate. Once we finally had control of ourselves, we decided it would be best to return to Forks. I took Bella's phone from her pocket and texted her friends to let them know she was grabbing a ride from us before returning the device to her side. An unintentional look at the texts she'd shared with Rosalie bringing an adoring smile to my face.

** Rosalie **

I gently brushed the hair out of Bella's face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. Alice and I had brought Bella to our house first to let Carlisle examine the girl while we explained the events that had occurred. I thought about glancing over my attack on the man but my pride wouldn't allow me to hide the fact that I had protected my mate.

"It looks like she's just exhausted," Carlisle pronounced after a few minutes of inspection. "After the events you've described me, she will no doubt need plenty of rest. Will you wish to keep her here?"

It was nearly nine o'clock and I had no doubt Bella's father would be calling on her soon if she didn't return. Still, every part of my instincts were urging me to keep my mate there with me, to never let her out of my sight again.

"We'll have to take her home," Alice said, her voice as somber as I felt. "Charlie won't want her staying over at someone else's place on a school night, even if it is the town doctor." She smiled at Carlisle and nodded to him. "Thank you, we'll take it from here."

The eldest vampire smiled in response, nodding before slowly backing out of the girls' room. The only time either of us had left Bella's side was for Alice to run and get Carlisle. As gently as possible, I lifted the sleeping human into my arms and once again loaded her into the car. I let Alice take the wheel while I sat in the back seat, cradling Bella in my lap as if she might simply blow away on the breeze. 

I knew how precious life could be, and how cruel the world could be to those who lived in it. Since becoming a vampire, I had not had to worry about the world, but now that I had found my very human mate, I once again felt the cold chill of fear. Fear for my mate's safety, fear for her rejection should she ever find out what we are. Fear of losing her.

"We won't lose her," Alice murmured from the front seat, and I couldn't tell if she was answering my wayward thoughts or making it a vow of her own, but either way I let her words calm my mind. Alice would be able to help me watch out for things unseen, and for everything else, I would be there standing between it and my mate. 

** Bella **

I groaned as the rays of the morning sun came glaring through the slit in the curtains. Gods, I felt like shit. My body was heavy and sluggish, but more than anything I felt over-rested. How long had I been asleep?

Then I was blinking hard as I sat up abruptly, my gaze traveling around my room. I didn't remember going to bed last night, but the book I found sitting on my bedside table was enough to bring back the events of last night.

Ironically, it wasn't the attempted assault that drew my focus. That was easily secondary to the arrival the Cullen sisters. They were both so beautiful and glorious in their fury as they stood down those pathetic men. I wound up playing Rosalie's attack over and over again in my head, trying to make it seem real. There was just no way her toned yet delicate arms should have had the strength to hit that man so hard he flew through the air.

Then I remembered their shared black-eyed gazes, and if things weren't complicated enough, I could feel my arousal spiking. There was so much _power_ in those onyx-hued eyes, so much _intent_. I could only hope that I never wound up on the wrong end of one of those gazes. Or maybe I did want that, gods I can't think straight with those girls.

_Think straight,_ I laughed. I'd been lucky to be capable of proper brain function since the moment I'd met them. _Focus!_ I berated myself. I had even more questions now as far as my research goes, and I didn't know if those two would be honest with me if I outright asked them. 

That's when another thought occurred to me, blinking down at my oversize sleep shirt and lace shorts. 

Someone had changed my clothes.

I couldn't hold back the squeal that left my lips, turning the sound into the pillow so I didn't wake Charlie up. Oh dear gods, not only had they come to my rescue just in the nick of time, but one or both of them had changed me into my sleepwear. _Just kill me now! If there truly is a merciful god or goddess out there then just strike me down!_

Of course, no such luck. My face was stuck in a perpetual flush as I searched for and found my phone, snatching it off the charger before I ripped it from the wall. As I thought, there were texts waiting from both women.

**Eris:** _'Bonjour, mon amour!'  
_ _'Don't worry, it's nothing I haven't seen already.'  
_ _'Although those frilly pink panties looked adorable.'_

**Satan:** _'Good morning, Bella-mou. Hope you don't mind that we helped you change. You were pretty out of it last night.'  
'You're so impossibly gorgeous...'_

I wanted to die. Like, I actually contemplated if the distance from my window would be high enough to do the trick. Briefly, fleetingly, because holy shit if my clumsiness doesn't end me at some point then it's obvious that these girls will. Still, I wasn't going to back down, not this late in the game.

_'That's twice you've seen me naked--or close to it. And yet I haven't had the privilege of your beautiful body. You must see how unfair this all is. Just saying.'_

I had to swallow hard, hesitating only a moment before I sent the text. That wound up being far more forward than I thought it would be, but if these girls were serious about their pursuit then I was going to stay the course. Now to address Rosalie's text, because I literally needed the preparation of texting Alice first just to be able to handle replying to the blonde goddess.

_'I suppose after my mishap with Alice in the locker rooms, it was only fair that you got a peek, too. That being said, I'm literally dying of embarrassment over here! You're a virtual goddess and you're trying to call **me** gorgeous?! Have you looked in a mirror lately?! I cannot compare to Aphrodite herself!'  
_

A glance at the time had me groaning for a different reason. I only had thirty minutes to get ready for school, which for a brief moment I had forgotten was a thing. Seriously, everything seemed to fade to the background when I interacted with those two.

A quick rinse in the shower and a thrown together outfit of a white long-sleeve and black leggings with a pair of jean shorts over them and I was out the door, remembering to grab my coat at the last moment. I was still getting used to the colder temps in Forks compared to living in Phoenix. I was loathe to think about what the winter months were going to be like.

I arrived just as everyone else seemed to be getting there, which means I had just enough time to swing by the cafeteria to grab a quick bite before I had to get my books for my first classes. Of course, that plan was quickly derailed by the arrival of none other than the the Cullen clan. The men were all tucked into a large Jeep with Emmett hanging out the top like the buffoon he was, but my gaze was easily drawn to the familiar Porsche that pulled in beside my truck. 

Alice jumped out of the driver's side, and for a moment I wondered if she'd even had time to throw the vehicle into Park, before she was practically wrapping herself around me in a cheery hug. "Good morning, Bella!" I couldn't help the grin that stretched my cheeks. I barely caught sight of her likewise stockinged legs, the short blue skirt almost matching my own shorts perfectly, the delicate crème-colored blouse leaving her arms bare despite the bite of the chilly air.

Rosalie, the more stoic and regal of the two, unfolded herself from the car as if she were presenting for a red carpet event. She was wearing another pair of gloriously fitting blue jeans, with a maroon blouse, a black suede jacket stretched across her toned arms. "Good morning, darling," she purred, her voice sending a shiver up my spine even as Alice played with the curls falling loose around my neck. 

"G-Good morning, my beauties." Fuck, even speaking was smoother than normal when it came to these girls. Clearing my throat, I turned so I was facing both girls, Alice refusing to relinquish her hold entirely. "I...um...I wanted to thank you both again for last night. I have no idea how I can ever make it up to you."

Rosalie's smile was soft and warm as she reached up with one hand, drawing the backs of her cold knuckles down my flushed cheek. "You have nothing to thank us for, little darling. I'm just so happy we were able to be there for you."

Alice nodded emphatically, bouncing so hard at my side that I felt myself being pulled nearly off my feet. "Yeah! Besides," here her smile morphed into a cheeky grin, "Getting to tuck you in last night more than made up for it, in my opinion."

Predictably, my cheeks warmed even more than they already had been, and I wondered idly if these two had set some kind of goal to make me blush as often as possible. I think they honestly had bets going at this point. "Oh, come on, like I could ever compare to you two."

This time it was Rosalie whose smirk caused my heart to stutter. "Oh, well you'll have to tell us what you think about that when you check your inbox." And with that, both she and Alice turned to leave me standing there just as the first warning bell began to ring. I had to blink several times, wondering just what those two were up to before I realized I still hadn't gotten my books for the day. _Fuck!_

I was rushing to my locker and had just reached my first period before the bell rang, sighing heavily as I grinned weakly at the teacher before taking my seat. I was frustrated, mostly because I didn't have any classes with the beauties during the first half of the day, but also because I hadn't had a chance to check my phone since this morning.

It wasn't until the end of fourth period that I finally got the chance, so I quickly drew out my phone. The strange thing was I had an incoming text from both women requesting permission to download a file. Shrugging, I knew the girls wouldn't send me anything harmful for my phone, so I quickly allowed permission.

Knowing my dinosaur of a phone would take a while to download the files, I pocketed the device and finished packing up before heading off towards my locker to change out my books for the second half of the day. A ping from my phone alerted me that the files had finished downloading so I shifted out of the way of the other students before opening the files.

** Alice **

I was practically vibrating in my seat, waiting for the vision I'd just had to come true. And no sooner did I take my next unnecessary breath than in walked Bella, a tissue held to her nose that still held hints of blood on it. I'd already had the foresight to send Jasper out of the room, knowing the struggle he had with being around humans, much less ones that were bleeding.

Bella's cheeks were the reddest I had ever had the pleasure of seeing them, and I gave her a wide, toothy grin when she briefly looked up from her examination of the floor to peer our way. I could see her jaw clenching even from my seat, the girl nearly stumbling on her way to the lunch line as she averted her embarrassed gaze.

Rosalie had worried about us sending those pictures, wondering if we were being too cruel, but I had simply assured her that we simply _had_ to garner as many of those beautiful little flushes from the girl while she was still human. We wouldn't be able to make her blush once she was turned and I absolutely needed to see her face reddened as often as possible before we took that away.

Speaking of Rosalie, her gaze on our mate was practically lecherous. We could both smell the effect our pictures had had on the girl and gods was that the sweetest of torture. Being able to scent her desire without being able to partake in it yet was both heaven and hell.

It was funny, because Rosalie and I had both helped take one another's pictures without issue. Neither of us were any kind of self-conscious about our looks, and with my visions I knew exactly what outfits would work best to pique our mate's interest. I had settled for a deep, royal-purple lingerie set with a padded bra that pushed my meager breasts to their maximum cleavage potential. The matching thong easily showed off my better _ass_ -et, so to speak, and I made sure to bend over just enough in the picture to give her a look-see. I think my favorite picture had been of me bent over facing away from the camera, looking over my shoulder with a sultry look.

Rosalie, the glorious bombshell she was, was much easier to choose for. A blood-red lacy set, the bra she was wearing hardly had enough fabric to contain her well-endowed breasts, though that was kind of the point. Practically spilling out of the bra, she simply stood with her legs shoulder length apart, hands on her hips just over the matching red thong, showing off her fierce beauty as she gave a dominant glare at the camera.

Honestly, that had been the most fun I'd had in a long time playing dress-up. _I wonder if Bella will model for us some time?_ I had no doubt that she would, but she would be embarrassed the whole time. I couldn't help but giggle at the images that flooded my mind as I looked into that particular future. Poor dear, we were going to give her a heart attack if we weren't careful.

Feeling particularly playful, I pulled out my phone to text Bella.

_'Aww, did you hurt yourself, ma belle? You seem to have had a nose bleed.'_

I awaited my mate's reaction with a grin as Bella sank into her seat beside her friends. She flinched just as I heard the ping of her phone alert, and I continued to watch as she frowned down at the device with a blush. A quick flick of her fingers and a moment later my own phone went off. 

**Ma Belle:** _'Oh, no worries, just these absolutely CRAZY women sending me pictures this morning, nothing out of the ordinary. DID I MENTION THEY WERE PRACTICALLY NAKED?!'_

I giggled as I showed my phone to Rosalie, who let out a hum of approval before I started typing again. _'Oh dear, that sounds simply **awful**. Do you need a hug? Maybe a kiss? ;) '_

Again, I watched on as she paused with her sandwich halfway to her mouth to look at her phone. It was almost comical how easy it was to predict this girl's blush, but it was still beautiful to see her cheeks flush red as she sent back another reply.

**Ma Belle:** _'Hmm, a kiss, you say? I might just take you up on that.'_

I blinked before a grin broke out on my lips just as the warning bell sounded, signaling the end of lunch. Grumbling, I stood with Rosalie and we both ditched our trays and were halfway out of the cafeteria before Bella made her way up to us with a suspicious smile. 

"So," she said, voice hesitant even as she seemed to brace herself. "I believe you said something about a kiss." My smile grew even bigger as she took a step closer, feeling warmth spreading across my chest that was suddenly nearly flush with her own. Slowly, my smile fell in place of the sudden aching _need_ that filled me, the human girl leaning forward at a slow pace, my breath catching in my throat as I awaited the inevitable.

Just as I expected her lips to press to mine, she shifted away, turning and lifting up onto her tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Rosalie's lips. Nearly as soon as it all began, I found myself blinking at Bella's retreating form for several minutes after the girl had left, a blank look on my face.

_That...that... **brat!!!**_

** Rosalie **

I admit, I was more than happy with the reaction we had gotten out of my mate with those pictures. The girl had practically dared us to show ourselves to her, and seeing the nearly permanent flush to her cheeks when she'd entered the cafeteria was well worth the several pictures we had gone through that morning.

Then the girl had to go and do _that_ and now I was standing there with my lips tingling, my finger idly tracing the warm spot where her lips had just been. It had been both shocking in its potency and painful in its briefness. The fact that she had jipped my little sister of that kiss was of no consequence to me. Actually, nothing was of consequence to me in that moment. I was numb yet burning from the inside out. Need and want were warring inside of my body and I had to force myself to remain still as my mate left for class. 

A heavy sigh eventually left me, breaking whatever spell the girl had put me under. With a smile, I turned a comforting glancing at my little sister. Alice hadn't moved a muscle from the moment Bella had approached her, save for the curling of her fists at her sides and little twitches around her lips. "You gonna make it, pipsqueak?"

She jumped, blinking several times before focusing on me with a vicious pout. "That was just... _mean!_ " I swear, her eyes teared up and everything--I think she was actually going to cry. I pulled her into a hug so I could hide my smirk, knowing that she probably wouldn't appreciate it at the moment.

"Well," I eventually murmured against the smaller vampire's hair, "We knew she was a fiery one, but even I didn't think she had that in her." I squeezed her once before releasing her. "Let's get to class before we're late. I promise we'll figure out a way to get back at her."

Alice's face went from a sad frown to delight in the span of a second and I couldn't help but laugh at her antics. "Ooooh, she's going to pay for that! Just you wait!"

_Poor Bella,_ I thought with a laugh, _you've doomed yourself, I hope you know that._

** Bella **

_Why did I do that?! What the hell were you thinking?!_ I continued to berate myself all the way through Trig and partway through History. I had no clue where the audacity had come from, but I'll be damned if I didn't suddenly feel a solid lump of panic sitting heavy in my chest. Had that been too forward? Would they be upset at me?! Luckily I found distraction in the form of the stupidity of religious idiocy. 

"...and it was found that around the mid 1800s that polygamy was announced as doctrine for the Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints. It has been revealed that the religions founder, Joseph Smith, was an avid practitioner of polygamy, holding as many as thirty wives at one time."

I couldn't help but give a derisive snort. "Something you'd like to add, Ms. Swan?" came the teacher's irate response.

"Yeah," I sneered, "This whole subject is taught as if Mormons were the first people to participate in polygamy, while the concept of polygamy and polyamory were known ideals hundreds--maybe even thousands of years ago. It also misinforms us that polygamy is all about having multiple wives--a misogynistic view, if I might add."

The teacher was giving me this dumbfounded look, but I wasn't finished. "Polygamy is also practice among Muslims of certain middle-eastern countries, but in our country the first thing that everyone--including bloody Google--goes to is Mormons.

"That's not even mentioning polyamory, or non-monogamous relationships, which have existed even longer. People nowadays use it as an excuse to cheat and sleep around, while the true practice is about love and trust. Love is Love," I finished, reaching into my shirt and pulling out my rainbow necklace I kept hidden there. 

Not gonna lie, I have no idea what made me go off on that tirade, but by the stunned looks of the students around me, I had left at least _some_ kind of impact. Then, of course, Lauren fucking Mallory had to open her fucking mouth. "So, like, what? Are you poly?"

There was another lull in sound while everyone just stared at me, even the teacher didn't seem to know what to do. _Might as well get out in front of this one._ "Yeah, I am. I believe love is infinite and formless, that there should be no limitations on how far or how deep we love others."

"So you're a slut," came Lauren's caustic reply, and even before the teacher crowed out in protest of the girl's language, I was ready with my reply.

"Oh shut it, Mallory. Just because I won't go out with you, doesn't mean you can call me names."

Dead. Fucking. Silent. No one made a peep, which was probably a good thing since Lauren was left sitting there gawping at me like a fish out of water. The only person I was curious about was Jasper, but even his arched-brow gaze wasn't enough to bypass my irritation. Just as Lauren appeared to get a hold of herself, I began loading up my stuff into my bag, the bell ringing just as I hit the door. 

** Alice **

"So, I had an interesting class with your mate," Jasper said, our family lounging together in the living room for the evening. Esme and Carlisle were both seated together at one end of one of the long couches, with Edward seated in the middle. Emmett was sitting on the floor with his head stuck in some Xbox game he'd recently bought, while Jasper took up a seat in one of the lounge chairs.

I was once again cozied up in Rosalie's lap, feet kicked over the side of the other lounge we were residing in. The blonde hadn't once protested my presence, simply shifting to adjust to my position while she shifted her magazine to her free hand, the other arm trapped behind my back. It was relaxing, being close to my mate's mate, I was coming to find. Being close to Rosalie, holding her like this, had a soothing effect on my nerves when I was forced to be away from Bella. 

Judging by the soft sigh that left her when I all but dropped into her lap, I figure she felt the same, even if it was subconscious for her. So it was kind of hilarious that Jasper was speaking towards us both while talking about our mate, since his statement left it open to interpretation as to which of us he was speaking. 

Rosalie, of course, thought he meant her, so she was the one to respond. "How so?" she murmured, her attention seemingly only half on the subject but I knew she was all-ears. She was quite adorable when she tried to hide her excitement.

"Well," he continued with a small smirk, "we were in History and the subject of Mormonism came up in regards to their polygamous practices. It turns out that your girl has some strong opinions on the topic of polyamory and free love."

"How so?" I repeated Rosalie's earlier words, curious as always about our mate. 

"She's apparently a firm believer in the polyamory lifestyle. As she says it, 'there should be no limitations on how far or deep we love others.' It would seem your little Bella believes in freedom to love freely."

Rosalie's snort was almost comical if it weren't for her following words. "As if I'd share her with anyone."

I nearly cringed, catching glances from nearly everyone in the room, which told me that out of the entire Cullen family, Rosalie was the only one who didn't know she and I shared a mate. Emmett was probably out of the loop just because he was too far sucked into his video games, but even he wasn't dense enough to miss the cues. 

"Don't worry," I murmured, shifting around a bit until my head was nestled in under her chin. "I have a feeling we won't have to share her with anyone else." Rosalie's happy hum was kind of cute, more so for the fact that she still seemed to have no clue, yet subconsciously she was accepting of my presence in her relationship. I mean, we both literally sent lingerie pics to the girl, with each others' help. If that wasn't a raging clue then I don't think she'll ever realize it until we're practically dating the girl.

Still, I was willing to stay the course with Rosalie at the helm. She needed this. She needed to pursue and be pursued by our mate. This whole thing was new to her, and while I wasn't exactly bisexual before meeting the girl, my visions gave me the upper hand on contending with the feelings this girl could inspire in us. 

I felt my breath leave me as my eyes glazed over, the vision taking me away for a few brief moments. When the vision cleared, I found myself the center of attention, only it was Rosalie's gaze I sought out with a rumbling chuckle. "Oh, I have the perfect revenge for that little stunt she pulled today. Rosalie, we're going to _break_ that little girl tomorrow. Are you up for a little fun?"

She blinked several times before a smile swept up her lips, her gaze darkening a bit until my vision was filled with amber pools. "Oh yes, I think our little human needs to realize who she's dealing with."


	5. Chapter 5: The Challenge

** Bella **

Tuesday morning came up on me a lot faster than I would have thought. After the absolutely overwhelming events of the previous day, I was expecting to have a literal heart attack by the end of the week. It would just be my luck that I meet the two most perfect specimens of femininity only to die of shock from said beauty.

It wasn't even just their undeniable beauty, though. There was substance to them both, unique in their own ways. Alice was perky and awe-inspiringly positive. She was also a massive flirt and half the time I didn't even know how to respond in kind--though I still somehow managed to anyway. She was also a polar-opposite to her sister, Rosalie.

That blonde goddess was far deeper than her beauty belied. Most would look at her and think her shallow or vain, while in reality she was quite unaffected by her own looks. Oh, she absolutely knew she was a knock-out, and she had proven that she could effectively use it--mainly against me and my ever-dwindling higher brain functions. If I knew no other thing about her, the fact that she loved Pablo Neruda would fill in pages about her character.

And I was swiftly becoming outrageously enamored by them both. Hell, if I wasn't already halfway in love with them then I was surely on my way. Every day we shared texts and flirts, and every morning I woke to their names on my lips. Ugh, I was becoming right pathetic.

This morning had me waking to a pair of texts from the lovely ladies once again.

**Eris:** _'Good morning, you little brat. Don't think I've forgotten about your little stunt during lunch. VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE!!!'_

**Satan:** _'Good morning, little darling. I look forward to seeing you today. Don't think for a second I've forgotten your little tease of a kiss.'_

I had to take a minute to swallow hard past the lump in my throat. Surely they weren't actually upset, judging by Alice's teasing manner, but I had a feeling I was going to suffer greatly for my little impromptu tease yesterday. What the hell could those two be up to??

I wound up replying to them in order, as usual. _'Good morning, Tiny Goddess. I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to. >_> <_< '_

_'Ah, but to a bittersweet taste upon thine lips would sear darkened desire upon velvet ribbons. Should rather the rose lie dormant adrift in a sea of uncertainty?'_

I need to write a book. _"How to be a Smooth Mofo Without Ever Knowing How."_

Knowing I wouldn't have much time if I kept up the banter, I left my phone on the table and rushed through my morning routine. I decided to heat up some toast and microwave some scrambled eggs for breakfast, figuring I would probably wind up being late for the school's breakfast once again. I didn't want to start a day of possible intrigue on an empty stomach.

And so it was half an hour later that I was pulling into the school parking lot, a smile on my face as I pulled in next to Alice's Porsche. The doors opened simultaneously as both of my lovely ladies unfolded their perfect bodies from within, both wearing matching smirks on their sweet lips. I had barely exited my truck before I was accosted by blinding beauty from both sides.

"Good morning, _Isabella_ ," I felt my lower body clench at the way Rosalie _purred_ my name, but I stayed strong and remained on my feet--mostly because I had fallen back against my truck.

"Mmm," was Alice's likewise purred response, her soft, cold body nearly draped across the left side of my body. "Yes, good morning, _ma belle_. I do hope you slept well."

An admittedly strangled noise was the only sound I made at first, causing me to cringe before I swallowed around the flood of desire pooling low in my body. "H-Hi, girls. Um, fancy meeting you here?" Yep, smoothness, thine name is coward.

Rosalie's vibrating chuckle was felt all the way through my body as she pressed my shoulder directly between her voluptuous breasts. "You don't seem too happy to see us, Bella-mou. What do you think, Alice?"

Alice released the most adorably arousing sound I'd ever heard, a mix between a whine and a moan, and I'll be goddamned if I didn't feel every ounce of blood rush to the lower parts of my anatomy. "Well that's just mean. Maybe we should just go to school? I mean, we wouldn't want to impose."

Not gonna lie, I whimpered. My face was absolutely flushed beyond recognition and my legs were trembling with the effort it was taking to remain standing. I was drowning in estrogen and I couldn't think of a better way to go. Maybe if I fainted they'd give me mouth-to-mouth.

"Look," I eventually forced out, my voice low and gravely, as if I had been gargling glass shards. "I know what I did yesterday was a bit over the line and I'm sorry."

"Aww," Alice murmured, her cool fingers teasing the skin around my collarbone. "She's 'sorry', Rosalie? What do you think about that?"

As if on cue, the blonde woman leaned down until her lips were very nearly brushing against my ear. "Oh, I don't know. I don't think she's sorry enough." Then, she pulled away completely, along with Alice as if they had synchronized their movements--which, once blood returns to my brain, I'll probably realize they most likely did, the evil little vixens! "But by the end of the day, she will be."

And with that, the two women walked away, the sashay of their hips mesmerizing in a way that had me literally falling to my ass, my back supported only by the truck behind me. _I'm done for._

* * *

"Yo, Arizona!" I groaned, finally blinking the haze out of my eyes, finding Mike, Angela, and Eric standing at the front of my truck. Luckily Lauren had decided to make herself scarce. "Seriously, what's your secret?"

"I don't know what you mean," I murmured, slowly rising shakily to my feet.

"Okay, yeah," came Eric's sarcastic response, "Like we didn't just see the Cullen sisters literally attached at your hips just now."

I had to take a deep breath before letting my head fall back against my truck, staring up into the grey, cloudy sky. "You know, I have no fucking clue."

"Yeah, well they've obviously got a thing for you." This time it was Angela's voice cutting through my delirium and it kind of surprised me. She sounded almost happy for me. "They're always staring at you, or finding reasons to come around."

I blinked, my head coming back to earth finally. "If only." Except, it might actually be true. These two goddesses had taken to me for some unknown and befuddling reason, and I wasn't the only one noticing now. The big question is whether I wanted to take the risk and ask them to date me. Because I might be cool with polyamory, I may be open about my sexuality and beliefs, but that didn't mean they would be as well.

I imagine Rosalie would be a very territorial and domineering lover (not that I'm against being dominated, woo-boy), while Alice would be more accepting of my lifestyle. But really, what chance in hell do I have of having a happy ending with two of the most spectacular women I've ever met.

"Yo, earth to Bella!" Mike's stubby hand waving in my face brought me out of my stupor just as the warning bell rang. "Hey, we should hang out after school again." Ugh, he was walking beside me, why was he walking with me? "Maybe you and I can go get dinner sometime?"

"I don't like eating out." _I mean, I absolutely do but not in the way he's thinking._ Fuck, and now I'm thinking of those pictures and now the thought of being immerse between either pair of toned thighs has my mouth watering.

"That's cool, that's cool," he replied, still keeping pace with me. Seriously, his class was on the other side of the school. "Maybe I can take you to a movie sometime?"

Ugh, he's asking me out. Fuck. "Dude, I appreciate the offer, but no dice." There, simple, to the point, no way he can misinterpret--

"What about this weekend, do you have any plans?" _For fuck's sake._

I stopped walking, turning to face him directly. "I'm going to give you a little bit of advice. When a woman states that she is not interested in any kind of romantic or dating scenario you're presenting, that does not mean for you to try _harder_. It means you back off and take the hint." I stared at him directly in the eye, daring him to try again.

The boy swallowed and had the decency to look abashed. "Sorry, you're right. I'll see you at lunch, Bella." And with that, he walked away, leaving me with a heavy sigh and a chagrined look. Seriously, I hated to shoot the boy down so hard but he really needed to learn that 'no means no'. All men, in fact, should have that lesson burned into their skulls.

I made it through the first half of my day in the usual manner--bored and missing my ladies. It's ridiculous how much of my attention span has been tied to those two. At least my grades weren't suffering, I could say that much. I was nothing if not impeccable at taking notes.

I was one of the first students to make it to lunch, probably due to the burning need to see a certain blonde and pixie goddess. Which was why I was sitting alone at my usual table when the two objects of my affections walked in. They seemed to be staying close to one another, and while Alice drew the eye like a magnet due to her spritely personality, Rosalie drew the gaze like an explosion, powerful and anxiety-inducing.

It was almost comical the way the other students parted like the red sea as the girl's approached. I might have chuckled had they not decided to forgo their usual table to take up residence on either side of me. They didn't even bother with the lunch line, they simply sat down with me, both leaning respectively towards me with one elbow braced on the table. Seriously, when did they have time to rehearse their movements so perfectly?

I had to swallow the bite of food I'd just taken. "H-Hello ladies, how have your days been so far?" Gods, they were just staring at me, this was a painful amount of attention.

It was Rosalie who answered first. "Oh, I'd say we've had an uneventful day today so far. What about you, Alice?"

Alice was already nodding her head. "Yes, very uneventful, not unlike a certain beautiful brunette, or so I've heard."

I swallowed again, this time having nothing to do with the food and everything to do with the lump of tension in my throat. "O-Oh? And what happened with said brunette?" Why was there so much tension?! Gah, I was going to pop a blood vessel at this pace.

"Oh, I heard she got asked out by one Mike Newton." This was Rosalie's response and I had to shiver because she practically _growled_ it, and for a brief moment I was reminded of Sunday night. Darkness, onyx-black eyes, and _growling_ , and holy shit why was that sound so arousing to me?!

I cleared my throat before tossing back as casually as I could, "Yeah, well I heard she shut him down with a quickness."

"Hmm," came Alice's thoughtful reply, "And I wonder why she would do that? Someone might think she already has her eyes on someone."

"Indeed," Rosalie purred, her voice _right in my friggin' ear_ and seriously when the hell did she get so close?! "I wonder who it could be."

Brain meltdown in t-minus sex seconds-- _fuck!_ The sudden presence of Alice's hand on my thigh drew another one of those strangled sounds from my throat, tapering off on a groan as she slowly dragged her nails upward. "I-I'd say, yes, she very much has her eyes on someone. But what chance does she have with them, she wonders?"

Rosalie's rumbling chuckle once again vibrated against my eardrums as she leaned into me, the feel and sound of hear cool breath panting into my ear nearly causing me to miss her next words. "If she wants to find out the answer, then she should really make sure she gets her sexy ass to Gym class on time today."

Without so much as a by-your-leave, twin pairs of ice-cold lips pressed in on either side of my neck, just below my ears, and yeah, I needed a change of underwear. Before I could so much as utter a word--because what the fuck could I even _say_ right now--the girls that were the bane of my existence and also my source of breath, stood up simultaneously and once again walked away together, the sway of their hips draining what little willpower I had left until they disappeared from the cafeteria.

A hand on my chin shoving my mouth closed snapped me out of my stupor only to find Angela taking up the recently abandoned seat to my left. "Totally not digging on you at all, nope." Her giggle went almost unnoticed as Mike landed across from her at the table, Eric and Tyler popping up to start up their daily gossip. But hell if I knew what was being said. Hell, what even are words?

All I knew was that I was going to make it on time to Gym today even if it killed me.

** Alice **

"Dear gods, did you _smell_ her?!" I asked, my voice pitched far too low for human hearing. All of our teasing since this morning was having the desired effect of lighting the brunette of fire in all the right ways. I had to fight back a groan, the scent of her arousal thick on my tongue even a few hours later.

Rosalie's signature sexy chuckle caused more than a few gazes to turn our way as we headed for Gym. "Mmm, you could almost _taste_ it!" Her tongue shot out to run across her lower lip as if she were imagining just such a scenario. "You were right, this has been so much _fun_."

I couldn't help my own giggle at our poor human mate's predicament. "You don't think we're being _too_ mean, do you?" I did feel kinda bad, but it was just so irresistible to continue teasing the girl. She was so _responsive_ to us, it was almost a damn shame that we couldn't act on that desire yet. After all, we had to wait for her to come to us. We were just laying the foundation, so to speak.

"Oh, I have no doubt she can take it, and she'll do so with a smile, I guarantee it." Rosalie and I stepped into the Gym just as the first warning bell began to ring. "I just don't know how long I'll be able to keep my instincts in check. Every part of me _yearns_ to claim her!"

I let out a growling chuckle of my own. "I think I understand, but we have to go at her pace." I paused as we made our way into the locker room ahead of the other girls. After all, we wanted to be prepared for our next wave of seduction. "But that doesn't mean we can't... _entice_ her. I think if we really put our minds to it, we'll get her to increase that pace exponentially."

Rosalie's grin was practically feral as we both finished changing. "I think I might actually come to enjoy Gym after today."

** Bella **

I entered the Gym a minute before final bell, rushing to the locker rooms without glancing around. I should have known better, but the next thing I know I'm pushing open the doors only to faceplant into a solid wall of softness--if that makes any kind of sense.

A cold set of arms caught me quickly before I could tumble backwards onto my ass, my hand rubbing my face as I groaned. It took me far longer than I'd like to admit to realize what had happened, my hand pausing as I looked up to meet Rosalie's amber gaze, the smirk on lips letting me know that, yep, I'd just face-tackled her boobs.

"Nice catch there, Rose," Alice's cheerful voice chimed from my side. She had yet to release her hold on my arms, and I gave her a confused look since _she_ was the one to catch me. Then her words caught up to me and, just, seriously, would their teasing never end?

"Hurry up and get changed," Rosalie murmured as she moved around me, her hip bumping against mine. They were out of the doors before I could get more than a passing glance at the two.

I was halfway through changing into a pair of shorts and a tattered muscle shirt over my sports bra, when I realized that Rosalie was here. Rosalie Hale was suddenly in my Gym class and I didn't know what to do with that information. What the hell was she doing here?

 _"I think Gym might be just the thing to spice up the school year."_ Oh fuck, Rosalie Hale was in _my_ Gym class, alongside her tiny goddess sister, and now life just got that much harder. I thought making a fool out of myself in front of Alice was bad enough, but now I had to show both women just how much of a _specimen of failure_ I was?! The Gods take me now, please!

Unfortunately they did not, and a moment later I found myself lined up with Alice to my left and Rosalie taking up the space to my right. I tried, oh I tried so damn hard, not to stare, but holy shit you cannot wrap perfection in the smallest pairs of shorts and the thinnest, shortest crop-tops, and not expect me to _look_.

"You're both trying to kill me," I murmured, startling when Alice giggled in response. I was sure that had been quiet, but fuck me if these two don't have the hearing of a bat!

" _La petit morte,_ " was Alice's whispered reply, and I damn near face-planted during a downward stretch just to keep the raging blush from my face. Instead, I nearly choked on my way up into a standing position.

"Okay class!" Coach Clapp called, blowing on his whistle. "We're going to be starting with some laps around the gym. I want to see each of you hustling. This won't be timed but I will be keeping an eye on you all to make sure you're not slacking. That goes for you, Mr. Yorkie!"

A few students laughed, but I was more focused on the presence of the blonde beauty close to my side. "Think you can keep up with our pace, little darling?"

"I don't know," Alice whispered from just as close, "We wouldn't want to lead her on a chase she's not ready for."

Ah shit, I was gonna die today. "I can handle whatever you throw my way," I replied as confidently as possible. _I'm going to be crying in the corner by the time we're done._ I could already hear my body protesting my stupidity. But hey, since when do my hormones listen to good sense?

A single chirp of the Coach's whistle and we were off. Ironically it was the Cullen women who were keeping pace with _me_ , though every once in a while they seemed to gain a burst of speed just long enough to put them a few steps ahead of me. Just far enough ahead to catch a glimpse of their glorious gluteus maximus. Seriously, I think I was only keeping pace at this point because I was chasing after _them_ instead of the laps.

So imagine my surprise when, about ten minutes later, we were some of the first people the Coach called to stop. "Good job you three! I want the rest of you to pick up the pace!"

Smiling like an endorphin-high moron, I managed to stumble my way over to the bleachers before plopping down. I think this is what they call a _runner's high_ but it could also just be the pheromones pouring off the Cullen sisters because those two were practically addictive. Either way, I took the offered water bottle Alice handed me as they took up their usual positions at my sides.

"Good job, _ma belle_!" Alice cheered, leaning in to press a quick kiss to my sweaty cheek. Another kiss to the opposite cheek and I was waving my hands in the air.

"Don't do that, I'm all sweaty!" Seriously, how could they stand that?!

Rosalie's throaty chuckle sent my already fast heart-rate even higher. "Oh, but we happen to like you like this." She leaned up against me, her cool body feeling like fire against my heated one. "Hot. Sweaty. _Panting._ " Oh fuck! I was glad my shorts were already patchy with sweat because I'm pretty sure they were pretty much _flooded_.

"Mmm," Alice groaned from my other side, her cold body pressing in more from behind. "I can practically hear your heart racing with exhilaration. You seem... _excited_ , Bella."

"More than you know."

I bit down hard on my tongue, my eyes going wide as my eyes shifted from side to side. "That...was supposed to stay up here." I tapped at my forehead with a grimace.

Alice's tinkling laughter was as magnificent as it was mortifying, while Rosalie simply gave another one of her signature chuckles. "Oh, I don't know, Bella-mou," the blonde continued, leaning in as she drew in an audible breath. "I happen to enjoy your... _excitement_."

With nothing else to do I threw back the water bottle, guzzling the soothing liquid over my aching throat. These two were going to kill me.

Then I realized something was missing from the class. "Wait, where's Emmett?"

Alice's grin appeared in my field of vision as she leaned around me. "Oh, are you missing the big strong brute? A girl might just get jealous, ya know?"

Predictably, my face flushed as I glared at the tiny pixie. "Trust me, not my type, Tiny Goddess. I just realized he wasn't here."

It was Rosalie who answered, her body shifting until her curled up knee was lying across my left thigh. "Oh, he and I talked the administration into letting us trade electives. I got this sudden _urge_ to join Gym this year."

Oh I could practically _feel_ those _urges_ as she shifted almost restlessly against me, my own body going into overdrive with arousal. A small whimper left my lips before I could restrain it, leading to a giggling Alice resting her head onto my shoulder, her cool lips feathering lightly over my neck. "Are you okay, _ma belle_? You seem a bit... _tense_."

Oh gods, were they seducing me?! Was that what was happening here? _Oh gods please let this be real and not a fever dream brought on by the endorphin high._ It would be my luck that I've actually tripped and knocked myself out and this was all a delusion.

Coach Clapp's whistle going off signaled the surprising end of class. "Alright, I want to see you all ready for more tomorrow. We're going to be going over warm-ups and cool-downs to ensure you all will be able to exercise without hurting yourselves." I had to blink, not having realized how long I'd been sitting here with these two beauties. I seriously lost all track of time when I was with them.

I attempted to stand, ready to head for the showers, only to feel a cold hand on each of my shoulders, pulling me back onto the bleachers. "Uh, aren't we going to go get changed?" I asked, unsure when faced with twin Cheshire grins from both girls.

"Oh, I though we might wait," was Alice's coy reply. "I don't think we'd want to be interrupted while... _changing_."

Rosalie was nodding while simultaneously rubbing her cheek against me like a content feline. "Yes, I would hate for some hormonal teenager to get the wrong idea about us... _changing_."

I'm going to die. My mind went _all kinds_ of places and I had absolutely no control over it. They wanted to wait. They wanted to go change together. _Together!_ _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_ What was I wearing? I forget what kind of underwear I had toss on that morning. Were they sexy? Oh who am I kidding, I didn't own anything that could count as 'sexy'. I was going to die of embarrassment.

Soon enough, it appeared as if all of the girls had left the locker rooms and I was suddenly being pulled along across the gym and through the doors. I didn't even make it to my locker before I was being turned around and _pressed_ back into the wall of lockers.

"You were very mean to me," Alice was murmuring into my ear, and I swear I blanked out for moment because suddenly both women were pressed _intimately_ against me from both sides. "Leading me on, then leaving me high and dry to kiss _Rosalie_ instead."

I swallowed, trying to formulate some kind of response only for Rosalie to cut me off. " _Mmm_ ," she purred into my ear, her voice vibrating in that deliciously sexy way of hers, "I'm not complaining, but that was such a _tease_ of a kiss. I think Alice and I deserve _compensation_ for you leaving us so high and dry."

I don't know how I was still standing, but the moment I felt a cold pair of lips feathering lightly up my neck on either side, my legs turned to jello. Neither girl attempted to stop my fall this time, though, and I wound up sagging back against the lockers on my ass, staring up at the two goddesses. There was something absolutely _sensual_ about those two in that moment that had me pressing my thighs together in an attempt to stifle the flood of moisture threatening to leave my clenching body.

And then they were leaning down over me and I could do nothing other than look up at them expectantly, because it was more than obvious that _they_ were entirely in control of this situation. As their faces grew closer and closer to mine, I felt my breathing turn erratic, heavy in a way I'd only ever felt it when I was... _occupied_ with myself. This entire situation was like sex and I was sure that I was going to wake up at any moment.

I felt their cool breaths ghosting across my lips and I could do nothing but whimper at their proximity. Just as I expected to feel _contact_ , they were pulling away, my breath leaving me in a _whoosh_.

"Hmm, no," Rosalie remarked casually, "That just won't do. Kissing you now would be _rewarding_ you, and I think you still need to be punished. What do you say, Alice?"

Both Rosalie and I turned to Alice who had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hmm, I think you're right. She hasn't learned her lesson yet. But I think I know what might tide her over until she decides to make up her mind."

And, I swear on all that is holy, unholy, and everything in between, I about died at what happened next. Both girls turned these sultry looks my way before moving their bodies together in front of me, not even a breath of space separating them. They stared at me for the longest second of my life before they turned simultaneously, smirking at one another before they leaned in until their lips touched.

 _Holy fucking shit, they're kissing_ _ **each other**_ _?!_ I had officially died and gone to heaven. These two were kissing, _making out_ , and they weren't holding back as they both moaned into each others' mouths. I could see their tongues battling for dominance and my body _shook_ with need, my panties officially ruined by the absolute _mess_ I had made. I was _wet_ and _aching,_ yet there was nothing I could do other than sit there stunned while I enjoyed the show.

Sooner than I would have liked, the two women pulled apart with a slick, wet sound, their gazes immediately seeking and finding mine. I realized then that I was panting, viciously aroused, and aching with need. I whimpered, my body vibrating as they both smirked down at me.

"I think she's learned her lesson, what do you think, sis?" Alice's voice was deeper than I'd ever heard it, thick with desire and it sent a shiver down my spine. Her calling to their familial bond was doing even stranger things to my insides, despite my mind acknowledging they weren't actually related.

"Hmm, I think she has." Rosalie's voice sounded like pure sex and I was dripping and whimpering as she chuckled at my ruined state. "I believe she'll think twice about teasing us." Her hand reached out and caressed my cheek and I found myself closing my eyes and turning into her palm with a gasp. "You understand who you're dealing with now, don't you, little darling?"

I was nodding quickly, my mind mush as I was on the verge of begging. What for, I had no clue, all I knew was that I _needed_ , and these women were my last drink of water in a desert of want. "Y-Yes, ma'am--er, Rosalie." Fuck, I think I should take a vow of silence, that way I couldn't further embarrass myself in front of these two.

Alice's chiming laughter lightened my heart at the same time it drew another gasp from my chest. "So polite, as well! I think we've staked our claim enough for today, what do you say, sister?" Again, that familial honorific was doing delirious, _delicious_ things to my insides and I was more than certain Alice knew it judging by the cheeky grin she was sending my way.

"Okay, darling," Rosalie nodded, her voice firm and commanding. "I think we've made ourselves very clear. Think _very carefully_ about your next move." She smirked and wrapped an arm around Alice's waist. "The ball's in your court."

With that they both turned and headed off, not even bothering to change out of their gym clothes despite the cooling temperatures outside. Just as they reached the door, Alice called over her shoulder. "Oh, and you can feel free to take a shower before you leave. _No one_ will interrupt you."

Fuck. If I didn't know any better, Alice fucking Cullen just told me the coast would be clear for me to hop in the shower and violently finish off what those two women had started. And that was precisely what I was going to fucking do...as soon as I could feel my legs again.

** Alice **

I couldn't stop the laughter from springing to my lips the moment we were seated together in my car. "Oh my _gods_ , did you see her? Did you _smell_ her?! I don't think I've ever seen anyone more aroused in my _life._ "

Rosalie's laughter was just as joyful as mine, though she also tapered off with a groan. "Oh gods, it was so hard to walk away and leave her like that! That smell alone was enough to drive my instincts into overdrive."

My groan was nearly as throaty as her voice had been. " _Fuck_ , I hope we didn't break her! I think she might have orgasmed just from us kissing alone!" That had been a bit of inspiration of my own doing, suggesting that finale. Knowing the source of her original teasing of us had been a kiss, I had to think of the best way to throw it back in her face. What better way than to seduce her relentlessly until she was putty in our hands, and then have her watch while the objects of her desire made out in front of her?

I didn't even have to look to know Rosalie was grinning at me from the passenger seat. "A stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. Your devious little mind fascinates me sometimes, you little minx!"

I matched her grin with one of my own, loving this playful side to the blonde beauty. "Aww, but now we have to wait for her to make her next move! Maybe working ourselves up so much wasn't such a good idea after all." Still I was laughing maniacally by the time we pulled into the driveway of our luxurious home.

Esme called out to us as soon as we entered, still dressed in our gym outfits. "Girls! What happened to your clothes from this morning?! You know you can't go out in this cold weather dressed like that without the humans getting suspicious!"

We stopped just inside the front door, guilty grins on our faces as we turned to take in Esme's irate expression. "Don't worry, Esme," I called back, giggling a bit, "We were just... _distracted_ at the end of gym class by Bella. Everyone was already gone by the time we got to the car, I promise."

The matronly vampire sighed, her face softening at the mention of our mate. "You two are going to be the death of me, you know that? Can't go one day without getting up to something with that mate of yours."

A second later, Esme's eyes widened a fraction, her gaze meeting mine in a bit of panic before Rosalie's voice responded calmly, "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to jeopardize the family. Our mate is perfect."

Now it was my turn to be stunned into silence. Rosalie's smirk as she turned to meet my wide-eyed gaze was practically _dripping_ with sass. "There was no way I could ignore the signs for long, sister. Besides," she added, a deepening of her voice sending a strange thrill down my spine, "Who else could I make out with in front of Bella and not want to rip their throats out?"

And then she was gone, leaving Esme and I to stand there staring blankly at the space she'd just vacated. She knew. She knew we shared a mate. She _accepted_ we shared a mate? That easy, it was out in the open, no yelling, no fanfare. No argument or debate. She simply... _knew_.

"Excuse me," I whispered to Esme, rushing up to our shared room to find Rosalie kicked back in her usual place on the loveseat. She had one of her car magazines in hand, a playful smirk still plastered on her full lips. Lips that I now knew were ridiculously soft and oddly _warm_ for a woman whose body was as cold as mine.

"What?" she asked, her voice playful. "Did you think I wouldn't pick up on the signs and hints you kept dropping?" She gave up her ploy of playing at reading the magazine, tossing it to the side. "All the little 'ours' you dropped about Bella, the fact that you included yourself in all of my plots and plans surrounding the girl. Hell, I even started to think of her as 'ours' before I realized what was going on, which should have been a bigger 'what the fuck' moment than it was."

I let out a disbelieving laugh as I took up the other end of the loveseat, pulling Rosalie's legs to stretch out across my lap. "And you're...okay with this? I kind of expected a different reaction, honestly."

Rosalie's grin was as sarcastic as her next comment. "Oh, what is this? Did I surprise the psychic pixie vamp?" She caught the throw pillow I tossed at her with ease, her smile softening as she sat up, facing me more directly as her feet hit the floor. "Honestly, I don't think I would have accepted it if you had told me outright. But seeing her, learning about her, getting to know the person our mate is...and seeing how happy you make her..." she trailed off, her eyes closing briefly before they opened, the watery shine nearly breaking my heart. "She's absolutely perfect. And she deserves nothing but the utmost happiness. And if we can give that to her together, then who am I to stand in the way?"

I couldn't help it, I sprung into her lap with vampire quickness, wrapping my arms happily around her neck as I sobbed happily against her neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how worried I was! I knew we would be happy together with our mate but part of me was so worried you might reject the idea."

Rosalie's chest vibrated with her gentle laughter as she shifted to better accommodate my weight. "I'll admit, when the thought finally came to me, I had a brief moment of doubt. I mean, I've never heard of a two vampires sharing the same mate. But then, today, when we poured on the infamous _séduction de Bella_ , I felt it. Her desire, her want, her need...for both of us. And when I tried imagining the scenario with anyone else, Jasper, Emmett, gods forbid even Edward, it was rage-inducing. I've never felt so comfortable as I am with you and Bella. It just...fits."

My squeal was loud and obnoxious but I couldn't help myself. "You have no idea how happy this makes me! I thought for sure I was going to have to continue with this silly charade for weeks or even months!" I squeezed her neck so hard I was sure it would begin to crack, but the other vampire just chuckled as she returned the embrace. "Ooooh! You know what this means?" I pulled back to met meet Rosalie's curious amber gaze. "Now that we're officially on the same page, we get to be as obvious as we want!"

Her laughter was a rumble in her chest as she arched a brow at me. "Oh? And were we being _subtle_ before? I think turning her into a puddle on the locker room floor is a tad bit beyond 'obvious,' sister."

My grin was practically Cheshire as I let my forehead rest against hers. "Yessss, but now we can anticipate her next move and when she asks us out, there won't be any surprises between us."

Her brows rose as she blinked curiously up at me. "You think she's going to ask us out soon?"

With the future fluttering across my mind, I couldn't help but lean in and leave a peck on her surprised lips. "Indeed, sooner than either of us think."

** Bella **

I admit that I had to sit in my truck for a solid fifteen minutes before I felt stable enough to drive home. My time in the shower had been both relieving and disappointing. Relieving because _fuck_ I had never been so turned on in my _life_. Disappointing because my fingers between my legs didn't belong to those two goddesses and thus felt... _subpar_.

 _"The ball's in your court."_ Well, shit, I'm screwed then. I had just been thoroughly seduced and left a dripping mess on the locker room floor, and I couldn't even be mad about it. Still, this game we were playing had obviously just been kicked into high gear and I needed time to adjust. I needed to _think_. I needed to _plan_.

But first I needed to get home and make dinner. All the while my mind drifted to the two beauties who had so completely captured my attention, and more than likely my heart. So it was with a smirk that I sent a single line of text to both girls.

_'Game on.'_


	6. Chapter 6: The Proposal

**Bella**

It wasn't like I had forgotten about the whole 'your potential girlfriends might be vampires' thing. In fact, she was very much aware of their seemingly supernatural beauty. But seriously, they didn't seem to be any kind of threat, either to myself or to the rest of the student body. I mean, they went to high school and didn't seem to be losing their shit over being around so many humans. That had to mean something, right?

There was also the fact that I very much wanted those two girls to make me their personal snack, if you know what I mean. 

You _do_ know what I mean, right??

So that lead me to the next several days being a sort of standoff of casual flirting and teasing, glancing touches and sultry looks. Rosalie and Alice were practically inseparable, and more often than not they were found at my sides in equal measure. We spent the rest of the week and into the following week playing a subtle game of twenty questions, really trying to get to know each other after that whole debacle in the locker room. 

Even though they had continued to tease me, they hadn't poured it on as heavily as they had that day in the locker room. Still, I was a nervous wreck as I quietly began to plan out my next move. I needed to make my move soon before they lost interest--even though part of me was certain they never would, and that certainty kind of scared me.

On top of everything, my friends had started noticing the attention I was getting from the sisters. Even Jessica had started commenting about it, without the usual jealousy that came with speaking of the Cullens. I think she was just happy that I was only taking the attention of the Cullen women, leaving her with the futile hope of being with the men.

The most annoying part of my friends taking notice was Mike and his less-than-respectable comments. "I'm just saying, it's _hot_!" More often than not his comments went ignored, but there were a few times where my hand found it's way across the back of his head. Unfortunately that didn't seem to discourage him for long. "I just wanna know which one you're gonna pick. Hey, do you think you could put in a good word for me with the other one?"

It was Jessica who smacked him after that one. "Like you would ever have a chance, you misogynistic pig."

I had never appreciated the girl more in my life. "Exactly! Besides," I smirked across the cafeteria at the girls who were paying far closer attention to my table than should be possible, "Who said I was going to choose one or the other?"

Their answering grins definitely were far too quick for them not to have heard me, but all I did was shoot them a wink. That was the closest I'd come to admitting my desire to be with them both and I was quite happy at their positive reactions. It gave me the courage I needed to go through with my plans, ignoring Mike's grumbled, "That's just selfish! Leave some for the rest of us!"

By Thursday morning of the following week I was freaking out to the highest order. I had planned the whole surprise out to the very last detail, worrying myself sick about all the ways things could go wrong. A text that morning from Alice put me at ease, though it did surprise me that she seemed to know _exactly_ what was going on in my head.

 **Eris:** _'Calm down and be confident. I'm sure you'll find the answer you're looking for in the end.'_

I sighed with a befuddled smile as I sent back a reply. _'What are you, a fortune cookie?'_

 **Eris:** _'Closer to the truth than you might think! lol'_

That was about as confusing as all the rest of the things involving one Alice Cullen, but I had learned to just roll with her idiosyncrasies. _'Fine, Tiny Goddess. Meet me at my truck during lunch today, and bring that gorgeous sister of yours.'_ There, that was quick and to the point, and I hadn't given anything away. 

**Eris:** _'Will do! I look forward to it!'_

I know I was smiling like a doofus, but seriously, what else could I do with these girls? I had long since abandoned myself to the insanity of my life here in Forks, namely the seemingly impossible attention I was getting from the two beautiful sisters of the Cullen family. Gods, I was smitten!

A ping from my phone brought another smile to my lips as I took in Rosalie's text.

**Satan:** _'I'll see you at lunch, my little darling. I'm sooo looking forward to it.'_

_Hurgh!_ Why was I able to hear her _purring_ the words? Gods, I could still feel their seductive voices vibrating through me even a week later. _'Don't be late!'_ I sent back, tossing my phone to the side as I went through my morning routine, unable to rid myself of the linger smile on my lips. I decided to attempt to tame my hair into a casual bun in the hopes that my ladies might enjoy it.

"You seem chipper this morning," came Charlie's morning greeting. He and I had gotten into a bit of a routine where if he got up before me, he'd attempt to make something for breakfast, while I was left with cooking dinner for us every night. It was comforting in a domestic kind of way and I appreciated the effort he was putting in to being more responsible.

I hummed in response. "As shocking as it may seem, I'm starting to enjoy my mornings."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with those girls you're always texting or calling, would it?" His smirk said more than anything that he knew what was going on to some degree and that I was being given a chance to admit to it. He'd asked a time or two over the last week about who I was texting all the time and I'd kind of piled on the adjectives when referring to my lady goddesses.

My face--are we really surprised anymore?--flushed a deep red as my mind immediately went to a certain locker room. "Y-Yeah, maybe." Why didn't I just admit my undying love for the women while I was at it?? Seriously, I was not good at lying.

"'Maybe,' she says," Charlie murmured into his coffee, snorting. "Girl, I might not be the most observant parent, but even I can see something going on in that little head of yours." He sighed, setting his cup down before turning his concerned gaze on me. "Just be careful. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Carlisle Cullen and I would hate to see one of his girls get hurt because you gotta choose between them."

Oh gods, this was awkward. I seriously didn't have time for this conversation! "Don't worry, Charlie, I have no intention of hurting anyone. I'd never in a million years do anything to harm Rosalie or Alice." I patted his shoulder as I lifted my bag off the floor. "Just trust me, if things go well today, you're gonna eat those words." 

With that cryptic parting comment, I rushed out of the house and to my truck, practically skipping as I made sure the two sets of flowers were still where I'd left them on my passenger seat. I only hoped they would make the impression I hoped for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time lunch rolled around, I was a mess. My stomach was in knots, which meant me skipping lunch anyway for me to have enough time for my-- _hopefully_ \--grand gesture. I was sitting on the tailgate of my truck, the bouquets sitting behind the gate just out of sight. 

When the two objects of my eternal affections made their way over to me, I was sweating bullets. I kept having to rub my palms on my skirt--yes, I said _skirt_. I had dug into my closet days ago only to realize I had nothing for this occasion, and so I had dragged a giggling Angela and and a smirking Jessica with me to one of our local clothing stores with express direction of helping me not make an absolute fool out of myself. 

And so here I was, a long-sleeve white blouse with a frilly knee-length red skirt that _swished_ every time I turned. To top the whole outfit off and give me _some_ semblance of my own style, I had added a dark-blue bow-tie, because if I was going to embarrass myself today I was going to do so on _my_ terms.

Lets completely ignore than every single one of my blunders thus far had already been on my terms.

"Hello, _mon cherie_ ," of course Alice would drop some French on my already fragile mindset, but it was Rosalie's purring rumble of a laugh that really had my blood pressure jumping. 

"So," Rosalie added after a moment of silence, "Here we are."

 _Yes, you are._ Gods, they were magnificent. Rosalie had worn a pair of skin-tight red leather pants with an equally tight white blouse that, if I looked close enough--and trust me, I couldn't help myself at this point--I could see through to the matching red bra beneath. Her beautiful blonde hair had been pulled up into a casual up-do that I thought looked both simple yet elegant on her.

Alice, for all her normally bubbly attitude, had gone with a maroon dress that draped enticingly off her tiny shoulders, the material appearing to _flow_ around her like water. It cinched around her trim waist and showed off her delicate figure in the most wondrous way. I was so caught up in their beauty that I didn't realize I had been staring until Alice cleared her throat.

"Right!" I yelped, clearing my throat a moment later. "Well--" shit, my voice was cracking, get it together! "Well, I asked you two ladies here today to ask you a very important question. But before I get to that, I wanted to let you both know that in the short amount of time I've known you, I can honestly say my life has never been brighter." 

Now that I was on a roll, the words simply flowed from me like a stream. "When I left Arizona, my life was pretty confusing. My mother never took the time to understand me or my feelings, always caught up in her own life, and she sent me away like some broken thing that could be 'fixed'." I swallowed hard around the lump of emotion, pushing ahead despite the sympathetic looks the girls were giving me. "And then you two kind of just _exploded_ into my life, and now I can't imagine a world where I don't wake to the thought of your smiles."

Clearing my throat again, I reached behind me and brought out both bouquets. Judging by the surprised looks on their faces, I had most definitely gotten their attentions. "I wanted to get you each a gift, a symbolic token of my feelings. But," I pulled back the flowers, "I realized that this was about more than either of you individually. This was about my unending and unequivocal love for you both.

"These flowers represent what I think of when I see you both." I held up a sunflower bouquet first. "Sunflowers and lilacs for you, Alice, because your smile brightens my world like the sun, and your positive and open heart soothes me like the placid blues of the sea."

Next, I held up the other bouquet with a gesture towards Rosalie. "For you, _ma magnifique fleur_ , I could go with no other flower than that of the lovely rose; red for the passionate and overwhelming love you inspire in me, and white for the purity of your every action you've shown me thus far."

"And so," I continued, my chest tightening and hands trembling as I brought both bouquets together into one single arrangement, "I offer these to you both, with the promise that, if you give me the chance, I will love and care for you both without end, until the last flower of these offerings dies." Smiling, I lifted a fake rose out of the arrangement and deposited it between the two bouquets, tying them off with a string and presenting them across my open palms.

"Will you both do me the absolute highest honor and go out with me?"

**Alice**

I knew I wasn't breathing, but this time it wasn't because I didn't need to. She had literally stolen the air from my lungs. That is, until all the love and devotion I'd been holding back for the last few weeks since meeting the girl began to well up inside my chest. A low keening noise filled the air, spreading and rising in volume to the point where Bella began to flinch, her human ears picking up on the sonic pitch even though she didn't seem to know where it was coming from.

Finally, my sense returned to me and I cut off the sound with a gasp, my voice screeching out before I could I could think to modulate it. " _YES!!! Yes yes yes yes, a thousand, million times yes!!"_ I threw myself at the girl, snatching the flowers out of the way before tossing myself into her waiting arms and showering her face with kisses while babbling unintelligibly. I actually intended to land every single one of those kisses on her beautifully full lips, but they scattered all over her face in my excitement.

Rosalie's rumbling laugh held a watery note to it as she, too, stepped forward to join the embrace. "You heard the pipsqueak. That's a 'hell yes' from us both, little darling." Then I was shifting aside as Rosalie accomplished what I couldn't and landed a warm, _fierce_ kiss directly to Bella's lips, her pale hands cupping the girl's face. Someone groaned, and an answering whimper arose, to whom they belonged to didn't seem to matter.

Their kiss ended, not suddenly, but slow like the flickering of embers clinging to life for but a moment longer. Both girls looked a bit winded by the kiss, but then Bella was turning to look at me, an eager smile gracing her lips as she crooked her finger at me. "Let's try that again, _mon trésor._ " I shuddered at both the sheer _want_ in her voice and the use of French, taking an unnecessary breath before approaching. When her warm, gentle fingers slide across my jaw and into my hair, I nearly growled in a fierce and sudden need.

Instead, a rather desperate whimper escaped my throat as her lips were suddenly upon mine, heat and need and so many things burning a searing path through me. I had a firm grip on the shirt she wore, forcing myself to relax as much as possible before I wound up shredding the material. Her lips moved so thoroughly against mine, the soft feel of those twin ribbons of velvet moving expertly across my own a sweet torture the likes of which I'd never felt before.

When she pulled away, I was panting, leaning forward in an attempt to keep the contact, earning a gentle chuckle from the human girl. Slowly blinking, I opened my eyes, only just realizing I had closed them. "That...you..."

"Alice Cullen, speechless," came Rosalie's warm chuckled response, "I'll have to mark the day."

Shaking my head, I blinked away the last of the cobwebs from my mind. " _Gods_ ," I gasped out quietly, still trying to bring my higher brain functions back up to speed. "We should do that again." 

Bella's beautiful, charming laughter filled the air, a heavy sigh leaving the girl's lips moments later. "I would love to, but I think we're already gathering quite a bit of unwanted attention." I blinked again before looking around, finally noticing that several students had paused in their movements around the parking area to stare slack-jawed at us. "Not that I care," she continued. "But I'd rather not have the entire student body ogling my girlfriends." 

I turned back to the girl with a smile, noticing the broad grin she had on her face and I couldn't help it. I squealed again and drew her in for a quick kiss before laying my head on her shoulder. "I've been hoping for this day for so long! I just didn't think it would happen so soon!"

Bella's laughter shook my head but I just clung to her harder. "Hell, tell me about it! I had no idea you two would even go for the idea of dating me like this. I'd almost given up on the idea of this kind of love before I moved here, to be perfectly honest."

Rosalie moved to take up position on Bella's left, her arm slipping around the girl's trim waist. "To be honest, I didn't know this kind of love existed at all. But seeing your smile, knowing it comes from both of us in such equal measure..." she tapered off with a hum, and I could feel Bella's pronounced shiver. "I'm so happy you moved here. I'm even more delighted to know that you're ours."

Being so close, I could both feel and hear Bella's heart thud loudly at Rosalie's words. "Is this real?" she whispered, a shadow of that horrible doubt I hated to hear or see from her rearing its ugly head. "Am I...am I really...both of yours?"

I pulled back to give her a lazy smile, just as Rosalie moved to stand in front of her close to me. "Yes, Bella, you are ours, just as we are yours. It's only fair, after all, that we should belong to one another."

"And there's no way in hell we're letting you go, now that we have you," Rosalie promised, her voice firm yet playfully intent.

"Oh, whatever shall I do with myself?" came Bella's naturally sarcastic response. 

Rosalie and I glanced at one another with equally wicked smiles before turning back to our mate, her voice dripping with seduction. "Oh, we can think of _plenty_ of things to do with you, _Isabella_."

The way the girl's face flushed and her legs trembled, I knew she was remembering the events of our little rendezvous in the locker room. The scent of her arousal filled the air and I couldn't help but draw in a deep breath, leaning in until my body was pinning her against the truck, one knee brushing her thighs tantalizingly close to the source of her sudden and obvious need.

The bell ringing brought a snarl to my lips that wasn't even close to human even as I had begun to trace them down Bella's exposed neck. _Fuck, school, right._ "I suddenly hate that sound with a violent passion," I growled, feeling Bella shuddering beneath me at the sound. 

"Wanna skip?" Bella whispered, voice rough with need, and I was sorely tempted to drag her off to the nearest horizontal surface clear of the view of the school.

"No," sighed Rosalie, and I drew my lips away from Bella's deliciously warm skin in order to pout at her. "No, girls, we cannot skip. We don't want Bella getting in trouble with Chief Swan, and we don't want to have to explain to Esme why we didn't show up to the second half of our day."

Bella and I both groaned in unison, but I knew Rosalie was right. The last thing we needed was for Bella to get grounded of all things. I couldn't possibly go any length of time without her company now that we were officially a couple-- _trouple_? Fuck, _in a relationship_ , whatever. "She's right, _ma belle,_ " I agreed, turning a grimace to Bella who looked about three seconds away from mounting one of us. "But we'll have plenty of time to get... _acquainted_ once school is out." 

Bella's sigh was both adorable and heart-wrenching, so I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. Her hand on the back of my head was surprising as she pulled me back to her for a longer, deeper taste. When she pulled away, she turned a crooked smile to Rosalie who smirked in return before she leaned in and took Bella's lips with authority, the sound of the brunette's moan sending shivers down my spine and a clenching between my thighs. 

"Okay," Bella whispered when Rosalie pulled away, her eyes closed as she seemed to focus on her breathing. "Okay, you two should go ahead, because if I open my eyes and either of you are still standing there, we're never gonna make it to class."

Rosalie and I were both laughing when we pulled away, our touches lingering across her fingers until they slowly parted, remembering to grab the flowers at the last second. I hated to leave her there like that, but damn we needed to get to class.

"See you in Trig," Rosalie called back once we were far enough away to resist temptation. 

I was clinging to Rosalie's arm as we left, my body practically vibrating as we walked. "Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods! She's ours, Rosalie, she's _ours_!" I let loose another happy squeal, uncaring of the weird looks we were garnering. By the time school was out, the entire populace would know that we were in a relationship with Bella, and that made me deliriously happy.

Rosalie's laughter was so happy and free that my own heart felt lighter hearing it. " _Ours_ ," she whispered, the sound so full of awe that I couldn't help but hug her close one last time. 

" _Ours for all time._ " 

** Bella **

I somehow made it through my next few classes on autopilot, my mind totally _gone_. All throughout Trig I found myself staring at Rosalie who somehow managed to turn so she could meet my gaze even though she was two seats ahead of me and two rows over. I was thinking seriously about ways I might could bribe my seatmate at my current table to trade seats with Rosalie, but then again, I'd likely never get any work done. So for now I contented myself with staring wistfully at her despite the weird looks I was getting from the students around me.

Biology found me sitting next to a smirking Edward Cullen, and I just know the little weirdo knew of the change in my relationship status. "Look," I murmured with a sigh, "if you've got a problem with me dating your sisters say so now. Either way, it won't matter to me one bit."

He let out a rather high-pitched giggle that I had to admit was kind of adorable. "Not at all, Bella. I happen to think you're the perfect match for my sisters. It's not like they ever shut up about you."

I felt the all-too familiar blush rising to my cheeks. "Part of me wants to call bullshit, but I think I believe you. Besides," here my smile grew into a full grin, "I practically talk my dad's ear off about them, so I guess we're even."

He gave me the most relaxed smile I'd seen thus far, and it made him look far less threatening. "I'll be sure to let them know," he teased, shooting me a conspiratorial wink that made me chuckle. I think I might actually learn to enjoy being around the creepy Cullen if he keeps this up. 

The rest of my classes followed in a more boring fashion, until Gym, that is. Somehow in all of my panicked, obsessive planning I had neglected to remember that I would be sharing the class with my new girlfriends. I guess part of me hadn't actually expected them to say 'yes', which was why I was inundated with waves of embarrassment when I reached the door to the locker room.

There they stood, already changed into the sinfully short gym shorts and tantalizingly tight crop tops. A whimper left my throat long before I reached my locker, the girls leaning to either side with knowing grins on their beautiful faces.

"You're killing me," I murmured, doing my level best to ignore the tempting sight of my girlfriends' glorious bodies. As I took out my clothes, I noticed that neither girl moved to turn away, my breath hitching at the heat I found in their gazes when I searched their grinning faces.

 _Are they seriously not gonna look away?_ I had to swallow down my trepidation, as I let my gaze fall to the floor. I hadn't expected to be confronted with my own shortcomings this suddenly and the feelings of inadequacy were nearly overwhelming.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked, her voice both playful yet concerned. I think she had picked up on my sudden bout of self-consciousness, but I didn't want them to think I was scared or uncertain.

"We can step out, if you want." This was Rosalie, a soft, loving, _understanding_ , smile on her lovely lips.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling my eyes beginning to well up with tears, blinking rapidly to try to hide them. _Gods I'm pathetic._

"Hey, no," Alice's hands were cupping my cheeks, the cold touch grounding me as much as her words. "I admit that we would love to see your beautiful body again, but we would never want to make you feel uncomfortable like this! I'm so sorry, _ma belle_!"

I sniffed, a shaky smile curling my lips as I met her concerned frown. "It's not that I don't _want_ you two looking, I just..." my voice trailed off. How do I explain to them that I felt subpar standing next to them, that they were these statuesque goddesses and I was just...plain. I felt pathetic and unworthy.

" _Isabella_ ," I couldn't help the pronounced shiver that rolled down my spine, Rosalie's voice practically _inside me_ as she moved up against my side. "You are without a doubt the most sinfully attractive young woman we have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Her cold fingers trailed down my cheek, coming to rest under my chin as she pulled my face up to meet her pitch black gaze.

I felt myself clench at the obvious sign of her arousal, that dark part of these girls that I had seen on a few occasions not scaring me in the slightest. I had this effect on them. _I_ had this effect on them. Whether I believed myself attractive, either in general or in some way that was _worthy_ of them, these two gorgeous women wanted me. They _wanted_ me. Gods, how do I even wrap my head around that?

A soft sound like a mix between a sigh and a whimper from my right made me shudder, my lower muscles clenching again in response. "Trust me, _ma belle_ ," came Alice's tinkling, breathy giggle, " _Every_ part of you appeals to us. There's nothing about you that we don't already love."

Rosalie drew in a deep breath before she pulled back slightly. "That being said, we are more than willing to go at your pace, my little darling. We want nothing more than for you to feel safe and comfortable with us."

It was my turn to take a deep breath, the combined scent of honey and lavender pouring off of my two ladies filling me with a comforting warmth. Smiling past my own self-consciousness, I stepped back and away from the girls, my gaze traveling back and forth between the two. "I do...feel safe with you both. I've never felt as cared for and loved as I do when I'm with you two."

Then, without waiting for any more of my horrid self-doubt to sink back in, I ripped my shirt up and over my head. My skirt quickly followed, leaving me standing there with a rising flush burning its way up my neck and into my cheeks. I could tell I had stunned the two beautiful girls, the sight of their jaws dropping and eyes dilating fully to black enough to fill me with both confidence and desire. 

"I think you two should probably head to class," I murmured.

"Why?" was Alice's breathy response, her fingers twitching like she was restraining herself from touching. 

"Because," I chuckled, feeling warm under their searing gazes. "If you don't, we're never getting out of this locker room." Feeling a bit saucy, I turned my back to them, reaching behind myself to unhook my bra and let it drop to the floor. I was just pulling my sports bra on over my head when the sound of groaning metal reached my ears. I turned around just in time to see Alice practically dragging Rosalie out of the room, a whimper leaving her lips as if it physically hurt her to leave. A look at my locker door found a small indention that looked unmistakably like fingers, and while that probably should have worried me, all I could do was smirk at the evidence of their desire.

Smiling at my little victory, I finished throwing on my newly acquired short spandex exercise shorts and tight-fitting tank-top. The sound of the coach's whistle forced me to hurry with putting away my clothes as I jogged out of the locker room and over to where Rosalie and Alice were standing. The sight of their wide-eyed gazes reaching me told me that they hadn't yet gotten over my little striptease. I could live with that.

"Okay, everyone, we're running up another game of dodgeball." Predictably there were mixed reactions to the announcement, some groans and plenty of cheers from the jocks. Lauren Mallory, I noticed, was glaring at me with unchecked fury and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that she'd be aiming for me once again.

"Cullens!" the man shouted. I startled, but the girls didn't seem to react at all. "You're team captains! I want you picking your teammates one at a time."

"No," was Rosalie's firm reply. Coach Clapp stumbled, his brow furrowing as he prepared what I was sure to be a scathing reproach only to have Rosalie talk over him. "I'm not going to be on a team against my sister, so pick someone else."

The man seemed to think it over for a moment, his gaze glancing at me for a moment before Alice stepped in front of me in a not-so-subtle act of defiance. "Mallory!" he eventually shouted, jerking the girl out of her glaring, a plastic smile lighting her lips as she met the coach's gaze. "You're team captain. Alice, you start."

"Bella!" she announced enthusiastically, her arm already curling around mine and dragging me over to the opposite side of the gym.

Lauren's malicious smile was just this side of sadistic as her gaze moved from me to Rosalie. "Don't even think about it," the blonde practically snarled, sneering at the bitchy girl. Sensing the danger of the situation, Lauren at least had some sort of self-preservation since she chose one of the jocks to join her team instead.

"Rosalie," Alice sang the name, her chiming laughter following as the blonde gave her an eye roll, her arms crossed over her chest as she joined us on our side of the room. And so it went, each girl choosing players until everyone was divided evenly. 

Once we were lined up on either side of the gym, the coach's whistle announced the start of the game. Almost as soon as it sounded, a ball came flying towards my face. All I could do was raise my arms defensively and awaiting the hit. Only it never came, the sound of rubber slapping flesh from in front of me.

I looked up in time to see that Rosalie had caught the ball long before it had had a chance to hit me. She glanced at me with a loving smile before turning a sneer towards Mallory who gave a frustrated groan. With more force than I thought possible, Rosalie launched the ball across the space almost too fast to see, Lauren's facing snapping back as she fell backwards onto her ass.

"Mallory, you're out!" the coach called, Alice and I sharing a giggle at the girl's red face as she bitched and moaned her way over to the bleachers. The game continued in this fashion, several students on the opposing team attempting to take me out of the game early since I was usually the weak link, while my lovely ladies came to my rescue every time. It was hella flattering and I couldn't keep the perpetual flush from my face the moment I realized what was happening.

The game went on for the entirety of the period until finally the Coach called a halt with his whistle. Unlucky for Lauren, Alice had just shot off another speedy throw that caught her in her gut, sending the girl doubling over on to the floor to the laughter of several students. "That's it, game's over. Gather up the equipment then hit the showers. Good game, everyone!"

With a smirk, I helped gather whatever balls were around us and returned them to the shelves. By the time we were finished, we were some of the last girls to make our way into the locker room. I wasn't nearly as sweaty as I have been during Gym this year, thanks in part to my solid protectors. I hadn't even needed to move much during the game, either Rosalie or Alice was always there to keep me from being pelted. And, knowing them, I could already tell they hadn't even worked up a sweat either.

"I bet you're just so smug, huh, dyke?" I had to close my eyes and count slowly to ten before I turned from my locker, glaring at Lauren while wearing nothing but my shorts and sports bra. I could feel Alice and Rosalie's hackles rising but I simple raised a hand to let them know I had this. I was grateful that we seemed to be the last ones left, otherwise this would have gotten far more attention that I was comfortable with.

"Come on," I gestured with my hand, "Get it out of your system, you half-wit cunt. Lesbian, dyke, slut, whore, bitch--whatever you've got, I've heard it all. So let's hear it." I folded my arms, waiting, smiling at the reddening of her face as I ran through her list of available insults. Oh she was mad, but with my ladies at my side I felt nothing but confident.

Until she did the one thing you just...don't...do. "Your little bitches won't always be around, Swan."

I was across the locker room before I even realized I was moving, my hand grasping the girl's shirt and slamming her back hard against her locker. My fury was so complete, so powerful that I didn't even feel the strain as I braced my arm across her throat, lifting her an inch off the ground. "You insult _me_ all you want," I growled, my voice deeper and more harsh than I'd ever heard it, "But if you ever disrespect my girlfriends again, I will _end_ you. Am I understood?!" I pressed harder against her throat for emphasis, the girl's wide-eyed gaze fearful as she struggling to nod as she gagged. 

A soft, cold hand on my shoulder drew me up short, causing me to drop the girl with a gasp. I stepped away, suddenly terrified by what I'd done, my gaze turning to meet the black dilated eyes of Alice as she stared at me, her lips curled into a frown that just looked wrong on her face. 

Lauren's coughing brought my attention back to the girl, my heart lurching as I realized just what I'd done. "I-I'm so sorry," whispered frantically, kneeling down next to the girl. "I don't know what came over me."

"No," Lauren whispered to the floor, her voice scratchy. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. You were just defending your partners." 

I blinked at the lack of venom in her voice, settling back onto my heels as I felt all of the fight leave my system. I felt tired, weary, _confused_. "Why?" I asked, my voice choked with emotion. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Because," she snarled, her voice rising again through the pain of her throat. "You come here and suddenly you have the attention of the whole fucking school on you. You get to be the center of attention, you get to have everyone _want you._ And now you're dating not one, but two girls and everyone is just fucking _fine_ with it! You don't even seem to _care_ about the snide comments being whispered behind your back!"

She was breathing heavy, her hatred almost palpable, but I didn't let it wash over me like in the past. I felt it, I saw it...and I recognized it. "Lauren," I called her name, my voice gentle as her head jerked up to meet my gaze. "Why are you so afraid to come out?"

Her jaw clenched, and I could feel her instinctual denial rise up between us, only for it to fizzle away as her bitchy façade cracked. Streaks of tears began to pour down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around her middle, and without thinking I reached forward to pull her bodily to me. She wailed, her voice breaking as she cried out her pain against my shoulder, my hands sliding up and down her back in a soothing gesture.

The presence of my girlfriends crouching down on either side of me brought a smile to my face as I turned in time to meet their watery smiles. They looked so precious, so loving and so proud that I couldn't help my own eyes welling up. Still, I focused my attention on Lauren and gently pulled away, the girl's hands clutching at my shoulders before she seemed to remember herself and jerked them away. 

"Lauren," I murmured softly, tilting my head down to catch her puffy-eyed downcast gaze. "Is that what this has all been about?"

She sniffled, her hands once again curling around her abdomen. "I've heard the whispers and mean comments for years. The laughter that follows anything even hinting at _gay_. I couldn't let that be me, I _wouldn't_ let that be me! I couldn't take it..." her voice tapered off on a cringe, her voice cracking.

Nodding, I sat back and sighed. "Yeah, I get that. When I came out pansexual back in Phoenix, I got called every name in the book. It's why I never took anything you said seriously. Not until I saw the look in your eyes that day in History when I implied you'd asked me out." The anger that flashed in Lauren's eyes burned bright for a moment before she flinched, her gaze falling to her lap. "I never meant to out you like that, I just wanted to get back at you for the way you were treating me," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head, sniffling one last time before she roughly wiped at her eyes. "I was being a bitch. I deserved worse. Besides," her signature bitchy smirk was back, but I could see through it now as she hid her pain behind it, "You'd be lucky to have someone like me ask _you_ out."

I laughed, even as I heard Rosalie and Alice's growls from my sides. "Um, hate to burst that bubble but--" I threw my arms around both girls' waists and smirked as Lauren's face fell into a vicious pout. "I'm literally dating the two hottest girls at school--nay, the _world_." My toothy grin was just this side of cocky, though it soon smoothed out into a loving grin as I heard Alice's tinkling laughter and Rosalie's rumbling chuckle. "Seriously, though," I added, my smile dimming a bit, "I highly doubt you're the only gay person at this school. Hell, Edward is so far in the closet he's basically in Narnia."

Lauren looked shocked at the news and Alice almost instantly fell backwards she was cackling so hard while Rosalie's face couldn't seem to decide between shock or horror. I couldn't help but join Alice in her laughter, Lauren's face turning so red I feared she might burst before she too began to devolving into laughter. I hadn't planned to throw Edward under the bus like that but it had brought an honest smile to Lauren's face so he was just going to have to get over it.

"Oh god!" the formerly-bitchy girl cried out, one hand braced on her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. "That makes so much more sense now!" She continued to chuckle, but before she could add anything else, the door to the locker room opened.

"What are you all still doing here, school let out ten minutes ago!" Coach Clapp turned away once he noticed our presence. Ever the attentive teacher, apparently he hadn't realized that some of his students had been left behind until now.

"Sorry, Coach," I called out, all of us struggling to our feet. "We got to catching up and lost track of time. We'll be out in a minute." 

Sighing, the man left us alone, muttering under his breath something about 'girls'. "Ugh, let's get changed and get out of here." I walked over to my locker and pulled my tight sports bra over my head without thought, sighing at finally being free of the constricting material. I really hated wearing it, but I refused to sweat up my only good bra even if it was the end of the day.

A choked sound from several feet behind me drew my gaze around to find that Lauren hadn't turned back to her locker and so had not only gotten an eye full of my half-naked body, but also that of my girlfriends as they, too, had moved to their lockers to change. Growling, I grabbed my bar of soap from my locker and threw it at the girl. "Eyes forward, Mallory!"

She yelped, her face the color of a ripe tomato as she quickly twirled around to face her locker. Still, she didn't immediately move to change and I eventually had to laugh at her state. I can't say I blamed her--my girlfriends were gorgeous. 

We finished changing without further incident, the skirt I had put back on feeling foreign and just _weird,_ but one look at my lady loves' faces and I knew I had made the right choice. They apparently really liked seeing me in more traditionally feminine clothing, or maybe it was the way it clung to my ass because I swear I could _feel_ their gazes as we left the locker room. 

"Lauren," I called out once we'd made it outside. She stopped by my side, a curious look on her face. "You're not alone. Don't ever let anyone try to treat you differently because of who you're attracted to." I pulled out a piece of paper and quickly wrote my number on it. "Here, if you need someone to talk to, shoot me a text. You don't have to come out if you're not ready to, but if and when you do decide, I'll back you up."

Before the girl could take it, Alice had plucked the paper out of my hand. I thought for a moment she might have taken it out of jealousy, but then immediately dismissed the idea because I trusted my ladies and I knew they trusted me. I was justified moments later when Alice offered the paper to the girl once again, Alice's number written on it too.

"We're with you too," she said gently, a happy smile on her pixie features. "As someone who recently came to terms with her sexuality, I can easily commiserate. And even if you don't want it, too bad because we're going to be friends whether you like it or not!" Her giggle was playful and quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever heard. 

"Might as well accept that offer," I murmured, smirking at Alice, "I don't think anyone could in good conscience say 'no' to this girl."

Lauren hesitantly reached for the paper only for it to be snatched out of Alice's hand, a heavy sigh coming from Rosalie who hadn't quite finished rolling her eyes as she added her number to the paper. "If anyone gives you any trouble, let me know. You might be known as the school bitch, but I am the standard by which you are judged, little girl." With that, the paper was once again offered, this time finally reaching Lauren's hands as she stared down at the numbers scrawled there.

I could see her eyes water slightly as her hands began to shake, and before I could so much as blink the girl had thrown her arms around my shoulders with a choked sound. Sighing, I rolled my eyes playfully as I patted her back soothingly, Alice joining the hug moments later, Rosalie only going so far as to pat the girl on the shoulder awkwardly. I swear, the blonde was the most loving woman I've ever met, but she had no concept of social cues or how to comfort someone who wasn't me. 

We eventually calmed her down, and with a few murmured promises to text us all, she left with a solemn set to her shoulders. It might take her a while to feel comfortable enough to even consider coming out, but I felt better knowing we had given her at least some kind of support. With a little work, the girl might actually get that stick out of her ass and stop being such a sexually frustrated twatwaffle.

"I'm officially changing your name in my phone contacts to Sappho," Alice eventually commented, her voice teasing in a way that let me know she wasn't teasing at all. "You are the official school Queer Whisperer."

I choked on a laugh, my shoulders shaking as I tried to cover my surprise. "Oh come on, just because I'm the resident Queer person for everyone to fixate on doesn't mean I have some mystical power. That being said," I smirked as I turned to face both girls, "your brother is hella gay, did you know that?"

Alice's face lit up, her chiming laughter filling the air. "Oh my gods, I didn't think anyone would pick up on that!"

Rosalie's face looked like she had swallowed something sour. "No wonder he's so frustrated. They could write a new movie based on his life, 'The Hundred Year Old Virgin'."

Okay, I think my side was about to split open, I was laughing so hard. I mean, I'd had the thought a time or two over the last few weeks of interacting that he might actually be gay, but having it confirmed was kind of hilarious. "I shouldn't be laughing, I know, but it's just so painfully obvious to anyone with eyes." It took a while before I was able to contain myself enough to continue our goodbyes.

"So," I announced without preamble once my laughter had died down, turning to my girlfriends. "I would like to ask you two lovely ladies if you'd like to hang out tomorrow after school. Before you answer, just remember that you get to have, at no expense to yourselves, a bumbling mess of a girlfriend who can expertly trip over flat surfaces and makes about every conversation as awkward as possible!" I sounded like a gameshow host, but the fact that Alice's tinkling laughter was filling the air again had me smiling sheepishly.

"Hmm," Rosalie hummed thoughtfully, a finger tapping her chin. "Throw in unlimited cuddles and on-demand make-out sessions and you have a deal."

My grin was splitting my face as Alice practically bounced on her feet at my side. "Deal."


	7. Chapter 7: The Reveal

**Bella**

I was all smiles that night when I got home. Even when Charlie started questioning me over my good mood, I gave nothing away, wanting to wait for the right time to introduce him to my lovely ladies. We weren't quite at the 'meet the parents' stage, and considering I doubt my mom would give two shits about my current love life, I didn't feel too bad for putting it off.

Dinner that evening was a few simple burgers and some fried potato wedges. Charlie seemed over the moon with the meal, and I couldn't help giving a pitying laugh as I thought about his terrible eating habits before I'd arrived.

I was finished with my homework in record time, so by the time I was settling in for the night in my room, I decided to take a look at the book I'd gotten the other week. I'd read it off and on over the last few days but all it did was reinforce the idea in my head that my girlfriends and their family were vampires. I didn't bother letting myself sit on any of the modern mythos considering I'd seen the family out in the daylight, at least half of them were wearing silver jewelry, and Edward wore a cross. Combine with that, I'd never actually seen them take a single bite of food at lunch, some of which I know was laced with garlic, so that kind of blew the common lore out of the water.

Still, their matching gold eyes and lack of eating, along with their ice-cold skin and impossible strength and speed was more than obvious to me. But then again, I had no real proof and the only way I was going to get any conclusions would be...to ask them.

At least, that was my thought until the end of school the next day. Friday had come, and I was more than excited to spend the day with my lady loves. We wound up having to tone down our PDAs after a particularly intense 'good morning' kiss had turned... _hot_. I still hadn't managed to clear the blush from my cheeks when Coach Clapp of all people stumbled upon us.

"I don't care what you do in your own time," he'd practically shouted, "But when you're at school, you're here to learn! If I see any more displays like this one, you'll find yourselves running laps for the next month!" And with that, the red-faced man had turned and stomped off to his own office.

Rosalie wasn't one to give up easily, especially coming from someone she said, "...hasn't gotten laid in the last decade." It was Alice's pleading comments that really forced us to consider being more careful.

"I really don't wanna take a chance on us getting detention or grounded. That would mean less time we get to spend together!" I had to admit, she had a point. The idea of missing any of the opportunities to spend time with my ladies was a painful prospect indeed. 

"Don't worry," I chimed in with a smile, wrapping my arms around their waists as I pulled them close to me. "We'll just have to be more careful! After this year, we're all graduating and then nothing can stop us!" I knew I was assuming a lot with that statement, but my mind couldn't help imagining a future where we're all together no matter what.

Apparently, neither could the girls, as Rosalie leaned in to press a kiss to my temple. "You're right. This is just so new to us, I don't think either of us wants to miss a moment of being with our girlfriend."

Not gonna lie, I preened for the rest of the day after that statement. These girls were impossible! Can't say I didn't feel the same damn way though. 

It was around lunch that I got my first real confirmation about my suspicions about the Cullen family. It came in the form of Tyler Crowley's van swerving into the parking lot while I waited for Alice and Rosalie to join me by my truck. 

It's a life changing moment, having a van barreling out of control right for your face...

**Alice**

The vision that hit me as I went to grab my phone charger out of my car sent a jolt of terror down my spine. I had only just looked up as the screech of tires filled the air, my voice calling out to the only person I knew could help. _"Rosalie! Save Bella!"_

I had no idea how close she was, but I knew I wouldn't make it in time even before the vision had fully faded from my mind. Students were crying out, the van was already skidding sideways past where my car was parked. My heart, long since dead, lurched painfully in my chest, my body shaking as my mate's life came under peril. 

**Rosalie**

Alice's terrified shout reached my ears as soon as I exited the main building, even though her words were quieter than human hearing. It had been a long, annoyingly boring day and I was looking forward to spending more time with our mate. 

I looked around with my heightened senses alert, finding Bella standing nearly fifty feet away from me on the opposite side of her truck with an old van sliding towards her.

I was rushing past the distracted student body, reaching vampiric speeds in an instance as I threw myself in front of the brunette, shoving her aside as gently as possible. The sound of her bones cracking made me cringe as I braced my hand against the van to stop it in its tracks. I was already turning to Bella, wetness welling up in my eyes as she cried out, cradling her arm against her body. 

"Bella!" I crowed, my voice desperate as I slowly reached for her, scooping her fragile body up until she was cradled against my chest. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

I felt Alice there, the petite vampire having moved at a more human pace to reach us as students gathered. Tyler had gotten out of his van, his apologies grating on my nerves as I forced back a growl. Eventually, Bella pulled back enough to look up at Alice and I gathered in front of her. 

"I knew it," she grinned with a strained look, her vision seeming to dim as she groaned in pain. "You two have some explaining to do."

I flinched, glancing at Alice who had a concerned look on her face. We'd just been found out, hadn't we? With a heavy sigh, I nodded to the girl in agreement. "After we get you fixed up at the hospital, we'll talk."

I wondered if this would change anything. I hoped not, but I couldn't help the painful lurch of fear that came with the thought. Would she accept us if she knew the truth? 

Alice's hand on mine drew my gaze as we helped Bella slowly to her feet. Her gaze reassured me with a happy little smile. It told me more than words that our little Bella would accept this not-so-little facet just as she had accepted everything else about us so far. 

**Bella**

So my arm was definitely broken, but I was assured by none other than Dr. Carlisle Cullen, my girlfriends' dad, that it was a clean break and would heal up well. Still, the cast they fit onto my left forearm was going to be bloody annoying, I could already tell. At least it wasn't my dominant arm. 

"What the hell were you thinking, kid!" I cringed at the sound of my dad's raised voice as he entered the ER. Tyler had been apologizing every few minutes and I was so getting sick of it. It was an accident, I got it. No, I didn't blame him, it could have happened to anyone. Shut _up,_ Tyler.

"You can kiss your license goodbye!" Gods, Charlie was on a roll. The soothing cool sensations on either one of my shoulders brought a smile to my face even as I pushed myself stiltedly into a sitting position.

"Dad, I'm fine," I called out, drawing his attention to me finally. His face seemed to blanch as he realized I wasn't alone and I had to fight back a smirk. My ladies were gorgeous, and no one was immune to that. "In fact, I'd like to introduce you to someone." I reached up and took each of their hands in one of mine--careful of my cast--joining them together in my lap. "Girls, meet my father, Charlie Swan. Dad, I'd like to introduce Alice and Rosalie..." I let my voice drift off, pausing to look between the girls for permission, which I received in the way of a pair of smirks and nods. 

"My girlfriends," I finally added, my face flushing even as the biggest grin slid over my lips. 

Charlie was in the process of offering his hand to the girls before it stilled, his face going slack momentarily. He blinked several times before he finally managed to speak, "You mean, like, friends who are girls, or...?"

I couldn't help but laugh while Alice's tinkling giggle filled the air. "No, dad, as in I'm dating them."

And now I know where my tendency for blushing comes from, because his face could rival mine on the best of days. He was looking anywhere but at us as he cleared his throat several times. "We'll...discuss that when we get home. Let's go, you've been released." 

I couldn't stop the groan that passed my lips, drawing the soft hands up to my face so I could place kisses on each set of knuckles. "Looks like we're gonna have to postpone our date today, my ladies." 

The sound of Charlie's choking mutter almost had me laughing again as he turned completely away. I continued in a whisper that I knew both of them could hear. "Don't think you're getting out of our talk. Tomorrow, noon, your place or mine?"

Rosalie's rumbling laugh was suddenly pressed into my right side and I had to fight the gasp that wanted to slip past my parted lips. "Hmm, I think we'll go with our place. We wouldn't want your father disrupting our... _talk_." Oh fuck, that is the most _suggestive_ way I've ever heard someone refer to a conversation and I was looking forward to ever...single...word.

"I look forward to it, my loves," I replied, still conscious of the lack of privacy. Rosalie helped me into a standing position, and before I knew it, Alice had joined us, her hands resting on my shoulder and waist as if afraid I might suddenly fall. I mean, it was a valid concern, considering my klutzy history, despite my refusal of pain medication. I didn't like the way that stuff made me feel, so ibuprofen is the worst I'll take.

Sighing, knowing I couldn't draw our interactions out much longer, I leaned up and gave Rosalie a gentle kiss to her cool, soft lips, followed by Alice. "I'll text you two later."

"Be safe, _mon coeur_ ," Alice murmured against my neck as she hugged me close.

"And please, for the love of the gods, stay away from traffic. You're the only girl I know who could walk away from nearly getting body-checked by a van."

"Hey!" but they were already walking away, smiles on their faces and sways to their hips. Gods, I hated to see them go, but I loved to watch them leave.

"You okay there, sport?" I jumped a little, realizing I had been staring after them for several moments after they had disappeared. 

Turning to Charlie, I just shrugged with a chagrined smile. "Yeah, this whole accident thing just sucks. I had plans today, dammit!"

My old man's chuckle was a little more playful now that he'd had a little time to process and the objects of my affections were gone. We were making our way out of the hospital and to his police cruiser before he finally commented. "So...both girls?"

I gave a heavy, put-upon sigh that I didn't really feel, shooting Charlie a smirk in the end. "Yes, dad, I'm dating those two gorgeous, wonderful girls. I told you I would make you eat those words, didn't I?"

He just chuckled in that dad way of his as he shook his head. "Yeah, kid, you did. I just didn't think you meant it this way. I mean, how does that even work?"

I turned my head to look out the window, hiding my lecherous grin. "Well, dad, when three women love each other very, very much..."

He slapped my arm and I couldn't help but laugh at how uncomfortable looked. "You know what I mean, girl!"

Still chuckling, I nodded, settling back into my seat comfortably. "Yeah, I do. I guess I should start by saying I believe in polyamory. I believe that if there is trust and love, then there should be no boundaries and no secrets. I believe in loving more than one person without those loves losing their worth. And it turns out those two beautiful girls are willing to date me."

"Huh," he said, his mind slowly turning over what I was saying. I felt sorry for him, I really did. First he finds out his daughter isn't the straightest arrow in the quiver, and now he was coming to terms with the fact that said daughter doesn't follow traditional monogamous relationships. "So...I mean, I know they're sisters...but are they..."

I snorted, thinking briefly about that kiss those two had shared during 'the locker room incident,' as I decided to call it. "Nah, they aren't with each other so far as I know. And they're adopted, so stop acting like it would be weird."

His laugh was more of a scoff. "Weird lost its meaning the moment my daughter came to live with me," he patted my shoulder in a loving gesture. "I know I'm gonna keep sounding like the outdated old man I am, but I want you to know that I am trying. It makes me proud to see you so happy and confident. You know, you get your luck with the ladies from me." 

His boyish grin made him look years young and I couldn't help but return the look. "I have no doubt about that, Charlie.

* * *

I was halfway through a text to my lady loves as I climbed the stairs to my room, Charlie having volunteered to make something for dinner that night. I wasn't sure if I would survive the night but I figured I'd at least give him a chance. My arm was really starting to hurt and part of me was regretting not taking something stronger. 

A hand covering my mouth cut off my scream, the cold feel of the body pressing into me from behind just as I entered my room nearly throwing me into a panic even as I recognized my attacker's scent. Snatching at the hand, I whispered harshly, "You two are going to give me a fucking heart attack!"

Alice's giggle came from my bed and it was only then that I found the tiny woman laying there, Rosalie's rumbling laughter sending shivers up my spine at the same time. It took me several seconds before I realized... _they were in my room!_ My personal goddesses were here, sitting in my room, even though I knew the front and back doors had been locked.

"Window," Alice whispered, and, yeah, duh. The window didn't have a working latch, but I had never once been bothered by it since I was on the second floor. "Sorry for sneaking in like this, but we couldn't quite wait until tomorrow to have this conversation. We wanted to get this out in the open so we can enjoy our weekend together."

I sighed, nodding, my heart still racing, though the cause was different now. Rosalie had yet to release me and I turned to look over my shoulder at her, catching sight of that _yummy_ smirk as she kicked my door shut without so much as a backwards glance. "Gods, you're sexy." _Shit_. "That...was supposed to stay up here," I tapped my head, grinning like the idiot I am. 

Rosalie just smiled and gently took my good arm, leading me over to the bed. Not gonna lie, my heart rate leaped at the suggestive images that flooded my mind. _Not the time! Calm the fuck down, libido!_

Alice had sat up near the head of the bed, so I took up my spot at her side, Rosalie taking up a close seat next to me. "So," I murmured, not quite knowing where to start. "You're vampires." Or that'll do. Foot, meet mouth.

Rosalie's sharp intake of breath made me tense, but her voice was relaxed when she spoke. "Yes." She paused, and I turned to meet her unblinking amber eyes. "You don't seem surprised."

I shrugged, gesturing vaguely because I couldn't quite sit still. "I may not be the sharpest crayon in the toolbox, but I can put two and two together. Besides," I smirked, arching an eyebrow at the blonde. "I've spent enough times with your glorious bodies pressed against me that I've had time to... _notice_ a few things about my lovely ladies. Combined with the Quileute legends I've been researching since my visit to La Push and, well, two and two makes vampire."

"And you're not scared?" Alice asked, drawing my gaze to the smaller girl. She looked more curious than concerned so I just shrugged.

"You don't feed from humans, right?" They both shook their heads. "And you're around humans at school all the time. If you were dangerous, I'm sure we would have heard about it by now." I thought about those black eyes that were all at once terrifying and yet beautifully enticing. "Well, I wouldn't say you're not dangerous. I remember what you did to those men when you rescued me. You were pulling your punches, weren't you?" I turned a teasing grin to Rosalie, watching as her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Unfortunately," she muttered. "They're lucky they left with their lives."

I shivered at the rumbling sound of her voice, placing my hand over hers in her lap. "I know, and I thank you both for saving me that day, and for sparing those despicable men their lives. I wouldn't want you two to draw attention to yourselves because of me being a stupid human."

"That," Alice growled-- _growled_ \--"stops now." When I turned my wide-eyed gaze on her, she cupped my face in the cold fingers of one of her delicate hands. "You degrading and putting yourself down, even if it's just in jest. That needs to stop. We won't have you besmirching our mate's name like that." 

I smiled, taking her hand in mine so I could turn into her palm, pressing a kiss there. "I promise I will try." I paused for a moment before furrowing my brows. "'Mate?' Is that like a vampire name for a girlfriend? 'Cause I think I like it."

Rosalie's laugh drew my gaze back to her and I shook my head quickly, shifting backward on the bed until I was sitting cross-legged facing the two women. "Sorry, I got tired of playing peekaboo back and forth." I chuckled at the sweet smiles I received as they both turned to face me more directly. 

It was Rosalie who answered my initial question. "Vampires...well, we have what some consider predestined mates, _soulmates,_ if you will. One person whom we connect to instantly and completely. An immediate love so pure and complete that it can not be ignored or denied. Until the start of this school year, there had never been a case of two vampires mating to a single human."

I blinked, my heart fluttering at the idea of those words. It was exactly what I felt from the moment I'd laid eyes on these two beautiful vampires--pure and unfettered love, a desperate need to know them, to be close to them. "So...I'm your mate...both of you?" Gods, that felt wonderful just to say, but it also had a strong permanence to it that pulled at my heart strings. It felt so much better than 'girlfriends'. 

Alice was nodding with a loving smile, rocking back and forth like she was having trouble sitting still. "Yes, and I knew from the beginning. You see, some vampires have special abilities, talents that they either carry over from their human lives or that manifest when they are turned. Jasper can feel and manipulate people's emotions, Edward can read people's minds. Me, I can see the future based on people's decisions. The night before our first day of school, I had a vision of you."

My smile turned bashful at that, my emotions warming me from the inside. "You saw me, even before we met?" Then my mouth fell open, horror filling me. " _Edward can read minds?!_ "

I didn't realize I had shouted that part until I heard Charlie calling up to me from downstairs. _"You okay, Bells?"_

"Y-Yeah, dad, just stubbed my toe!" There was quiet before the sound of the TV droned on from the living room. I turned back to the girls, noticing how still they had become and laughing a little. "Sorry, but seriously, Edward can read minds?"

"Yes," Rosalie said with a small laugh, "But not yours, so don't worry. All those naughty little thoughts you've been having about us are safe...for now." The heated look she sent me caused a small flutter in my lower abdomen that I staunchly tried to ignore. 

"Good, that's good. I'd hate for that little creep to be able to see inside my head. Might scar his poor little gay heart." Both girls struggled to suppress their laughter, my own hand pressing to my lips to fight back the rising urge to cackle like mad. "But seriously, what did you see, Alice?"

Alice's ever-present grin turned into this bashful little line as she turned away towards the window. "I can't go over the details yet, but suffice to say I saw you, myself, and Rosalie together in a happy, loving relationship." 

I nearly squealed, and, unable to resist, I threw myself at the girl and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. "That makes me so happy! So you knew from the beginning that we would be together!" I could feel her nodding against me, which made me realize what I was doing and pulled back. "And what about you?" I turned to Rosalie, who was smiling lovingly at us from the other corner of the bed.

Rosalie's look turned into a glare as she stared Alice down. "I had no idea that we shared a mate, or even that I _had_ a mate out there until that first day in the cafeteria. _Somebody_ neglected to mention what she had seen and has been playing the nosy little seer from the beginning."

Still leaning against her, I shoved Alice's shoulder playfully. "You didn't tell Rosalie? How mean!" 

She grinned, sticking her tongue out at the blonde. "Oh, she loved every bit of my 'help' I gave her in seducing 'her mate'." She completed the statement with air quotes and everything, which was adorable. "I _did_ have fun, though," she grinned, turned to look at me proudly, the chaotic little minx.

"I was wrong," I murmured, drawing a curious gaze from both girls. "You're not a pixie goddess, you're a gremlin!" I had to jump across the bed and into Rosalie's arms as Alice made a sound of indignation and reached out with her fingers crooked in what I assumed was an attempt to tickle me. "Save me from the evil little demon!"

Rosalie's free laugh was wondrous to behold, and hearing it now was no different as she cradled me bodily to her. "Down, pipsqueak, the Mate has spoken!" 

Alice was glaring daggers at us with a powerful little pout, but I couldn't help the little grin I shot back, sticking my tongue out for good measure. Then I watched as her eyes went distant, glazing over briefly before clearing moments later, a look of panic on her face. "Window!" she whispered fervently. 

Before I knew what was happening, they were out the window within seconds, my eyes barely able to track their progress. _Shit, fast vampires!_ Not a moment after the window quietly lowered did a knock sound on my door. "Come in!" I called, reaching to my table and grabbing my phone. 

Charlie opened the door and took a step into the room, looking around. "Were you talking to someone just now?" 

I gave him my most confused look I could muster, lifting my phone up. "I just got off the phone with Alice and Rosalie, why?" Gods, I hated lying, but it was much better to give a little white lie than to admit to my dad that my vampire girlfriends were able to slip into my room on the second floor as if it were nothing.

His brow was furrowed for a moment before, with one last look around, he turned to head back out. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. There's soup on the stove if you're hungry. I know it's the weekend but try not to stay up too late."

"I won't, dad," I shot back, sighing deeply when he closed to the door. No sooner had he left and I heard his footsteps moving down the hall did my window slowly lift once again. A blink of my eyes and suddenly my ladies were once again standing in front of me. "That is so hot," I whispered, my face heating moments later at their quiet laughter. "I swear, I have no filter when you two are around."

"That's a good thing, darling," Rosalie said, moving into my space until I had to look up at her. "I love hearing all the lovely little things that come across that wonderful mind of yours."

Seeing the statuesque goddess standing before me, I couldn't help but whimper as another wave of heat flashed through me. Shit, I could go from confused to aroused in the blink of an eye around these girls. "O-Oh? And do you want to know what's going through my thoughts at this very moment?"

I felt my bed dip as Alice crawled up to me until she was sitting up on her knees at my side, her fingers dragging softly through the hair at the back of my neck. "Oh, don't worry, _ma belle_ ," she whispered huskily into my ear, "We can _smell_ every single time your little body betrays your desire." She released another one of those whining moans that shot a spasm of clenching heat through me until I was rubbing my thighs together in an attempt to assuage the sudden _need_ I felt. 

" _Gods_ ," I whispered harshly, my breathing coming in small pants. 

Rosalie's chuckle came from directly in front of me and I drew in a sharp gasp, finding myself face-to-face with the beautiful blonde, her cold breath ghosting across my eager mouth. "The gods may have brought us together, but they are not responsible for _this._ " She leaned in the last little bit and captured my lips in a powerful kiss, her lips moving expertly across mine as I felt my body begin to shake. I couldn't think, couldn't do anything but _feel_ , and when breathing became necessary, my gasp for air was swallowed just as quickly as my face was pulled to the side, Alice's lips meeting mine with just as much desire as her sister. 

Gods, I was drowning in need and all they had done was kiss me! Alice was more delicate in her movements, where Rosalie had been more deliberate and forward. A moan left my lips and soon enough Alice's cool tongue was splitting the seam of my lips and _gods_ her cold mouth was such a sensual balance to the heat burning within me. The feel of her soft little tongue dancing with mine was so smooth and enticing that as soon as she retracted it between her lips, I was chasing it with my own. I was taken in by the softness juxtaposed against the firm feel of their solid bodies pressing in on me.

I had to eventually pull away for air again, my body thrumming with aching need that I wanted so badly for them to quench. I might have still been a virgin--I hadn't gone all the way with the girls or guys I'd been with in the past--but holy shit was I very much aware of where I wanted these two beauties to touch me. I wanted it to be with them, I wanted _this_ with no one but them!

Both girls paused and I held myself still as I fought to catch my breath. Alice was half-laying on top of me, while Rosalie had lowered herself into my lap with her thighs braced on either side of my legs. I don't even remember laying down, these two had completely possessed me in that moment.

I let out a rather pathetic whimper as I felt both girls pull away slightly. "I'm sorry," Rosalie panted, her voice sounding smoky and sexy and dear _gods_ what the sound was doing to me. "We didn't mean to get so carried away. You have to understand, the mate bond--" her voice cut off, and the lowest growl of a sound rumbled from her throat. "The mate bond is urging us to take you, to possess you, to solidify our bond and make you ours completely."

"Yes!" I whispered fervently, my voice rough with need, "I want that, please! I want to belong to you both entirely."

Alice's whine was nearly as pathetic as the sounds I was making. "We want nothing more than to do so, but not here." I swallowed down my protests, my eyes pleading as I stared up at their onyx-hued eyes. "Trust me, it hurts us just as much as it does you to deny us this. But we don't want our first time with you to be when your father is literally two doors down the hall."

Groaning quietly, I let my head fall back to the bed as that comment effectively cooled some of my desire. "Holy shit, I forget everything the moment you two start touching me. I do _not_ want my dad to hear us, and knowing us like I think I do, I don't think any of us are going to be quiet." 

Rosalie's signature rumbling chuckle was quiet as she moved herself to lay at my side in a less provocative position. "Not if I have anything to say about it. I want to hear you _scream_ _our names_."

"Not helping, not helping, not _helping_ ," I growled, slamming my head back roughly against my mattress. Gods, my entire body felt molten, like just a single _touch_ would be enough to send me over the edge, and _that_ thought nearly had me saying 'fuck it all' and pouncing. A small, delicate hand on my chest pressing me down told me I wasn't quiet in that thought. 

"We're sorry, darling," Rosalie whispered, nuzzling my cheek with her own in a soothing and apologetic gesture. "We will be together in all the ways mates are meant to be together, I promise. We just have to do this right."

"What do you mean, 'right'?" I asked, shooting her a confused look.

She smirked at me, leaning in to kiss my lips gently, distractingly. "We have to be so very careful with you, darling. If we forget ourselves for even a second, we could hurt you." She lifted my cast-covered arm as if to punctuate her point. "Even the most controlled effort by one of our kind can easily break your human body."

Sighing, I ran my fingers down her cheek using the hand that was in the cast to prove a point. "I don't blame you for this, I hope you know that. You saved my life... _again_." Seriously, I owed these two women far more than I could ever hope to repay and yet they still wanted to be with me. 

"We love you," Alice whispered simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world, like my heart wasn't suddenly pounding in response. "You are the most important thing in our lives now, and we will do everything within our powers to keep you safe and happy. Even if it means taking extra precautions when our more...sensual natures get the better of us."

I couldn't help my smirk as I lifted my hand to caress her cheek. "In case you didn't notice, your _sensual_ _natures_ were making me _very_ happy a few moments ago."

The girl's happy grin was enough to light up my darkened room. "Be that as it gay," she giggled at her play on words, "When we do get to have you alone, we need to have it be on certain terms. Namely, we need to make sure we feed beforehand so we don't accidentally hurt you. Also, we will need to make sure we're alone," at this she leaned up until she was hovering over me, her lips scant inches from my own, "We don't intend to allow _anyone_ to hear those delicious little sounds you make. Those belong to us and us alone."

I was whimpering again, trying to lift my head so I could chase after those tempting, tantalizing lips being held just out of my reach. _Fuck_ , how easy it was to forget everything when they were this close. "We're going to leave for now," Alice whispered, and suddenly her hand was over my eyes, "Close your eyes, and take deep breaths. We will see you tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded, closing my eyes and sighing deeply. "I love you both," I whispered fervently, yearning for them even as I felt them shifting away. "So very much."

"We love you, too," came Rosalie's just-as-quiet response, moments before the pressure of their bodies disappeared from mine entirely. With a whisper of sound, I suddenly knew they were gone, the quiet sliding of my window moments later confirming it. 

I sighed again as I sat up, running my fingers through my hair. Looks like I was going to need a very, _very_ cold shower. But even though I felt like I'd been left high and dry ( _Hah! As if any part of me is dry_ ), I still loved every moment of our time shared together. I could still taste the cool softness of their lips, the sweet taste of their mouths as our tongues danced. It was growing more and more difficult to remember _boundaries_ , especially when we didn't seem to actually have any. 

Mates. That simple word meant so much to me now, yet it felt as if it had always been there. Just like my ladies, it just felt _right_. Like everything in my life had been leading me to that very moment when our eyes first met in the cafeteria. Everything after that was just a _beginning_ of what I can only explain as _more_. More love, more laughter, more happiness, everything I felt was becoming _more._

My mates were so perfect, and I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life--maybe even the rest of eternity--with them.

Then, a thought occurred to me that sent me into a quiet giggle fit, shooting off a text to my ladies before I forgot:

_'Hundred_ _Year Old Virgin!_ _OMGs_ _I get it!'_


	8. Chapter 8: Learning

**Alice**

"She _knows_!" I sang happily as soon as we got home. I was spinning across the living room, giggling as Rosalie followed at a more sedate pace. Still, her answering grin was beautiful and I quickly grabbed her and pushed her into the vacant seat on the couch, falling into her lap that was quickly becoming my new favorite chair. 

"I'm going to take your ecstatic statement to mean your mate knows we are vampires," Carlisle explained calmly, his gentle smile as fathering as ever. 

I nodded, squeezing Rosalie's neck as I squealed again. "Yes, and she figured it all out mostly on her own!" I was so proud of our little mate. She was so smart and so perfect! 

"Me running across a parking lot at breakneck speeds to save her from a careening van heading right for her frail human body might have also tipped her off." Rosalie's voice somehow managed to portray sarcasm and pride. She was happy that she had been able to protect our mate, and it only made me love her more for it.

No doubt the rest of our siblings had informed Esme of the events of the day, but she still gasped at the thought of what could have happened to our mate. I think she was already in the process of adopting Bella. Our mate was going to be the favorite child soon enough, and that thought made me giggle like mad.

"What's going on in that devious little mind of yours?" Rosalie asked, her arms tightening reflexively. 

"Nothing!" I sang, smiling at Esme as I curled up under Rosalie's chin. "Oh, Bella's coming over to visit tomorrow around noon!"

Esme's smile could rival the sun in that moment. It was like instant 'mommy mode: activated', and I watched as she leaped to her feet, rushing into the kitchen to check on the food stores she'd been stocking. "I'll have to figure out what to make her! Do you know what her favorite foods are?!"

"She's an absolute glutton for breakfast foods," I called out with a smile.

"Meat," Rosalie added. "Any kind of meat you can think of, that girl will eat." I nodded, smiling at the purr that rumbled from the blonde's chest as she no doubt thought about our mate.

"So," Emmett said, his voice taking on that boyish playfulness I'd come to recognize when he was about to say something inappropriate, "I'm guessing by your late arrival tonight that you visited with your mate?" I glared at him but nodded from my seat, his eyes looking absolutely delighted. "Is that why you two smell like sex?"

"Emmett McCarty!" Esme yelled, his childish giggle floating around the living room as Rosalie and I glared at him. I mean, he was probably right, we did get ourselves pretty excited earlier but dammit, he just had to point out our severe _lack_ of action like that?

"That," Rosalie growled, her voice as sharp as ever despite the smirk on her face, "Is absolutely none of your business anymore, man-child." 

"Aww," Emmett cried, his voice turning petulant. "Come on! I'm all alone in that little old room now, I have to live vicariously through your gayness!" He dodged the throw pillow I tossed his way, his grin and laughter infectious as I began giggling against Rosalie's rumbling chest. 

"Get your thrills elsewhere, mountain man," I teased, drawing back to meet Rosalie's suddenly curious gaze. "Our mate is ours alone." The warmth that seemed to radiate from the blonde's smile was something glorious to behold, and again I reaffirmed my promise to always do everything in my power to keep that smile there. 

** Rosalie **

I still couldn't quite believe all of it was real. I had gone from stewing alone in my misery for so long, despite Emmett's best efforts to break through the façade of my anger, to truly _living_ and all because of one girl. Not one single person had ever been able to reach past the surface and touch my ice-cold heart. Not until Bella Swan had stumbled her klutzy way into our lives. Now I couldn't seem to even remember what life was like before she existed. 

I still had to smile at Alice's reaction to finding out I knew we shared Bella as our mate. I'd been slowly putting two and two together, but our plan to seduce the girl and get her back for that teasing kiss had been when I really began to question things. I had begun to see how Alice acted, not only around Bella and myself, but overall, since meeting Bella. She was happier, but more focused than I'd ever seen her. 

When she was detailing her plan for our seduction, it kind of all started coming together. Not because of any one event, but because her description of what we should do didn't set off a single red flag. I was willing to let my mate be touched and seduced by another vampire with full knowledge of what we were doing. That just doesn't happen in our world. Mates are precious things, jealously guarded and viciously fought for.

It was a curious sensation, but watching Alice fawn over Bella, teasing the girl and practically mounting her half the time...it filled me with warmth and a strange kind of happiness. I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't imagine a day where Bella's smile didn't also come from Alice. It didn't feel like a competition, as one would think when there were more than two people involved in a relationship. It felt equal in a way that, despite us being _very_ different women, just felt perfectly even.

Relationship. We were in a _relationship_ with Bella. I'd thought the idea of Bella being polyamorous would be a source of contention between us at some point. But knowing Bella like I do now, and seeing how happy and filled with love she is for both myself and Alice...it was wonderful. 

It just felt so damn natural, too. Hanging on to the girl, seducing her, _kissing_ her. It all felt so absolutely _delicious_ , and yet the same feeling persisted when it was Alice expressing her desires onto Bella's admittedly gorgeous body. 

I wasn't attracted to Alice. At least, not in the traditional sense of _wanting_ her. But there was a certain comfort I found just from being in her presence. It was especially potent when we had to be away from Bella, drawing comfort and solidarity from my mate's other mate. Maybe it was due to the shared mate bond, but my relationship with Alice had shifted subtly, changing in small ways to accommodate our beautiful little mate. 

Then I thought about making out with Alice in the locker rooms and I was happy vampires couldn't blush. The action itself was fun, but it was Bella's reaction to the scene that truly turned the experience pleasurable. 

"Why do you think that is?" I eventually wound up asking Alice, reiterating my thoughts when she stared at me in confusion. 

"Hmm," she'd pursed her lips in concentration, looking adorable. "I think it's exactly _because_ it excited Bella. I think you and I would be willing to do anything for that girl, and I do mean _anything_. Making out with my beautiful blonde bombshell of a sister is just one of those things." She sent me a wink for good measure, which drew another one of those freely given laughs from me that were becoming more and more common.

I'd never been one to laugh before Bella came along. I'd never found anything worth smiling or laughing for in this curse of a life. After what my fiancé had done to me, the circumstances of my being turned, I'd been left a cold and distant shell of a person. I think it was that unmatched disgust I felt for just about every living thing that helped me refrain from ever taking a human's blood.

Now, even I could see the changes in my character. I smiled often and laughed openly without restraint. Things were _funny_ now. Things were _appealing_. Whereas before I had always felt detached from the world, now I was distinctly _involved_. Bella had shattered the ice from around my heart and brought the sun back into my world where before there was only bleak darkness.

I hummed as a thought came to me, a small smile lifting my lips. "I think we should take Bella up into the mountains, show her our world in its entirety. If she's going to be with us, she deserves to see us as we are."

Alice's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before they cleared, a grin splitting her lips. "Oooh, I can't wait for you to see her reaction!" 

"That's just not fair," I murmured, pouting for effect. "I thought you couldn't see her?"

She nodded, her smile falling a bit. "Yes, the visions are blurry for the most part, but when you or I make a decision, sometimes I get glimpses of her reactions. It's fascinating, really."

Smirking, I flicked her nose playfully. "You're just mad that she can fool your visions."

Her nose twitched back and forth as her eyes crossed temporarily. "Hey! I'm not used to being unable to see anyone other than the wolves! This is hard for me, especially as it concerns our mate."

I nodded, realizing how anxious it must make her being unable to plot our mate's future accurately. "Welcome to being just like the rest of us immortals, pipsqueak." I stuck out my tongue, hoping to wipe away the girl's sour mood.

It worked. "Ooooh!" She growled as she pounced, her fingers trying to go for my abdomen, but I was expecting it. I got a hold of her wrists and twisted bodily, pinning her beneath me against the loveseat with my signature cocky smirk in place. 

"Didn't see that coming, did you?" I taunted, holding her arms above her head. Her gaze went from upset to playful in a matter of seconds and I just knew she was about to do something devious.

So imagine my surprise when she leaned up and kissed me. It was unlike the chaste peck she'd given me earlier in the night, the contact holding for several seconds before she tilted her head, pressing more firmly against me. And I couldn't help but respond to the kiss, pressing back until I'd bodily pinned the smaller girl beneath me. It was another one of those strange changes to our dynamic, where her challenge was met with equal abandon from my domineering movements.

We were both breathing slightly heavy when I pulled back, despite the lack of needed oxygen. It wasn't quite sexual, but there was definitely tension there that had never been there before. "This is weird, isn't it?" I asked, because I couldn't seem to reconcile the feeling of having my mate's mate pinned beneath me in such a compromising position.

Alice's smile was oddly shy yet playful as she tilted her head in consideration. "I don't think it is. I mean, we're the only known vampires to share a mate, so we kind of get to set the standard." She giggled suddenly, her body rising up until she was pressing back against me, our bodies shifting together with a warm sort of friction. "If it helps, think of what Bella would say if she saw us like this. Or think of how fast her heart would be racing, how the smell of her desire would fill this room with its delicious taste."

I groaned, my body clenching as I abandoned pretense and forced my lips back to Alice's for another searing kiss. It wasn't long before our tongues were battling for dominance, a fight I easily won as I pictured our sexy little mate having to sit and watch. We wouldn't let her touch, not right away. We'd have to really get her worked up, to see how far we could push her before she could no longer resist. 

" _Fuck_ ," I exclaimed, my voice ragged with need when I forced myself to pull away until I was once again sitting back on the loveseat. "I wish she was here with us now." 

Alice looked thoroughly kissed and it brought a pleased smile to my lips even as she struggled into a more comfortable position on the loveseat. "She'll be here this afternoon, don't worry. We'll have all the time in the world to play, then." She winked for good measure, adding, "You're a really good kisser, so I don't mind practicing with you until she gets here."

I laughed at that, her Cheshire grin proving too much for me. "Gods, you're adorable. I love you, sis." 

Alice moved until she was once again sitting in my lap, nuzzling into my neck as she got comfortable. "I love you too, Rose. I may not be able to see much of it, but I look forward to our future with Bella."

"Me too," I whispered, resting my chin on top of Alice's head. "Me too."

**Bella**

I don't know what I expected for my first meeting with the rest of the Cullen family, but I know I didn't have 'Susie Homemaker Vampire Mom' on my girlfriend Bingo Card. I was greeted at the door by my mates ( _Gods I love that word!_ ), who led me into the living area where their parents were waiting. 

Esme was the mom everyone wants and no one deserves. The first thing she did when she saw me was pull me into a warm hug--weird for a creature that was almost freezing cold to the touch, I know. "Welcome to our home, Bella! I'm Esme. Oh, I'm just so happy you decided to visit!" 

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Cullen," I murmured awkwardly, unsure of myself in the face of this decidedly sweet woman. 

"Esme, please," she reiterated, and I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Lunch will be ready in a few minutes!" 

Almost as soon as her words were finish, she was gone in a flash, not even bothering to hide her vampiric speed as she rushed off to what I could only assume was the kitchen judging by the smells. That was when Carlisle stepped up, taking my hand in his for a gentle shake. "You can call me Carlisle as well. You've given us an excuse to use the kitchen for once, so my dear Esme is going to take full advantage of your visit. I hope you're hungry, Bella."

I couldn't help but smile at the kind man in front of me. "It smells delicious, but you all didn't have to go to such lengths for me." 

"Nonsense," came the matronly reply as Esme once again appeared in front of us. "I've been stocking this kitchen from the moment I heard my little darlings had found a human mate." I felt myself blushing, a shy smile tilting my lips as I glanced back and forth between Alice and Rosalie, who had thus far been quiet during the introductions. "Oh, none of that, come have a seat and we'll get you fed."

Clearing my throat nervously, I felt my shoulders rising up to meet my ears as I moved quietly into the kitchen where a long island had been set up with a single place setting. I took my seat on one of the tall bar stools, followed closely by my mates on either side while Esme began to pile on pancakes, sausage, and bacon in heaps. I was definitely not against having a second breakfast, regardless of what time of day it was but holy crap this was a lot of food.

"Don't worry if you can't eat it all," Alice chimed in from my left side, either having correctly interpreted my slack-jawed look, or having seen it in one of her visions. I still wasn't 100% sure how her visions actually worked, so it could be either at this point. 

I hesitantly began digging in, finding the food was actually delicious. I mean, seriously, who would have thought vampires knew how to cook so well! The syrup was _real maple_! Who just _has_ real maple syrup?! 

But then again, judging by the massive house ( _see also: Mansion_ ), the luxurious vehicles I'd seen them drive, and their designer clothing, I was beginning to realize that my girlfriends' and their family were _loaded_. I felt so out of place with my tacky Wal-Mart brand blue sweater and jeans and off-brand Converses. Not to mention, my truck was an eyesore sitting parked out front. I was beginning to feel very outclassed in every single way and I hated that sense of failure.

" _Ma belle,_ " came Alice's whisper from my side, and it was only then that I realized I'd been sniffling. Shit, I couldn't control my emotions around these two! "What's wrong, love?"

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes across my good arm as I gave a watery laugh. "I'm just being stupid, don't worry about it."

"What did we say about calling yourself stupid?" Rosalie grumbled, sliding closer until she was pressed up against my back, her chin resting on my shoulder from my position on the tall stool. 

"No," I murmured, "I mean, I know. It's just that..." what could I say, really? "You're both so gorgeous, so perfect, and you're vampires on top of it. And you're rich. Not that that matters to me, money has never appealed to me, but..." I closed my eyes, my fingers picking at the edge of my sweater. "What could you possibly see in me? I'm this bumbling mess who can barely walk across a flat surface without tripping over her own feet, I find myself in dangerous situations almost as often as I make dinner for Charlie, and I just don't have anything to offer you two or your family. But you want to be with me; I don't get it."

The entire kitchen was silent by the time I finished and I couldn't bring myself to look up from my lap as I aired the entirety of my seriously lacking self-esteem. I know I'd been over parts of this before and that these two women truly cared about me for who I am, but it didn't help when I was faced with the literal perfection that was their family. I hadn't been in the house for even an hour and I had been treated more lovingly than either of my parents ever had before. I'd been accepted for dating their daughters and even for knowing the secret of their vampirism, and yet they still hadn't asked anything of me in return. 

It was abnormal.

"Oh dear," Esme crooned, coming around the counter at a more human speed, spinning me around in my seat until she could wrap me up another one of those tender, warm-cold hugs. "You sweet little thing, there is absolutely nothing wrong with who you are. I've heard so much about you over these last few weeks and I can honestly say you are a _perfect_ match for our little doves."

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears leaving cold tracks down my cheeks. I tried to pull away with a sniffle but Esme just wasn't having any of that, holding me pressed into her with a strength that her delicate frame belied. So I gave up and wrapped my arms around the Cullen Matriarch and crushed her to me in a desperate hug that I hadn't felt in so long. My mother was an eclectic mess of a woman who sometimes forgot that I was her daughter and not just some friend she could chatter with, so emotional touches like this were so few and far between.

I felt two other pairs of arms surround me and slowly all the tension from before began to flow out of my body like melting ice, which was funny considering the cold bodies around me. A calming smell, like winter pine and spring flowers mixed with a warm musky scent I couldn't identify filled my lungs and I just kinda went limp.

Slowly, holding me steady, Esme pulled away, my body winding up being pressed back into Rosalie's taller frame. I didn't mind, my brain felt like mush and I just wanted to curl up into the comfort of my mates' arms. "Why don't you girls take your mate up to your room and let her rest. I think she's a bit overwhelmed by our pheromones and a nap might be just what she needs."

I couldn't understand why they were whispering even as I was lifted easily bridal-style into Rosalie's arms. Faster than I could track, we were moving, cresting the stairs until we were suddenly inside of what I could only assume was a bedroom. I couldn't even begin to complain when Rosalie slowly settled me down onto a fluffy, warm cloud--or that's what it felt like at least. I swear, I could practically _feel_ the impossibly high thread count as I was suddenly surrounded by the wonderful scents of my mates.

I didn't even know my eyes were closed until I felt myself drifting off, the bed dipping on one side of me letting me know that my ladies were there with me. I knew they would always keep me safe. They were my heart and my breath.

Rosalie's lovingly whispered words followed me into sleep, " _So close, that your hand on my chest is my hand. So close, that your eyes close as I fall asleep_."

**Alice**

The sight of our mate resting comfortably in our bed was one I honestly hadn't expected to see this soon in our relationship. Regardless of expectations, the simple visual alone was enough to fill my heart with so much joy I could do nothing more than turn to my sister and pull her into a tight hug. 

"She's so beautiful," I heard Rosalie murmur, her gaze finally turning away from our mate to fully embrace me. "I cannot see the day, nor night, nor blessed dawn in which her smile, nor thine, should come not from the other, but braced beautifully in one shining image of love."

I found myself sniffling, tightening my grip on the other woman as her sweet words warmed my still heart. "That's beautiful, who wrote it?"

Her soft laughter rumbled in my ear, her chest pressing gently against my own. "Me. Her love inspires me to prose the likes of which long-dead poets have yet to breathe life to." She giggled, the sound echoing of surprise and love. "Gods, I can't seem to turn it off!"

I couldn't help the little giggle that left me as I slowly pulled away, turning my gaze back to our resting mate. "You always were a closet romantic," I murmured quietly, reaching out to smooth my fingers down Bella's cheek when the urge became too much to resist. "I'm happy to see you've finally come out of the closet."

Rosalie's laughter shook the bed even as she fought to suppress the sound. "Gods, you're almost as bad as Emmett."

I grinned toothily over at Rosalie. "No, sister, I'm _better_ than Emmett, I assure you," I returned with a wink. It was a curious feeling, but being so close to Bella always seemed to shift our dynamic a bit more left of center, to the point where I didn't mind flirting with Rosalie like this. I wondered idly if sharing a mate skewed the lines between the sharing vampires, or if this was just a natural shift that was occurring the closer we got to fully bonding with our mate. I mean, I made out with my sister in front of Bella and it was... _hot_. 

"Now what's going through that mind of yours," Rosalie asked, her smile tilting up at the ends. 

"I'm just...curious, I guess, about how sharing a mate will continue to affect you and I. There's never been a dual-mate bond like ours as far as I've been able to find out and I'm fascinated by it." I reached out and let a finger caress down Rosalie's cheek, feeling the softness of her skin in a new way I've never experienced before. It wasn't like touching Bella, but it wasn't unpleasant either. 

Rosalie's smile slipped a bit, her gaze turning curious as she furrowed her brows. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice taking on a vibrating cadence that I had noticed could turn Bella into a shuddering puddle. To me, it sounded warm and loving, but was there more? 

"I think I'm overthinking," I giggled, smiling and turning back to our mate. "So long as she's happy, that's all that matters."

I could see Rosalie's frown out of the corner of my eye before she, too, returned her gaze to the sleeping human. "Yes, whatever makes her happy."

** Bella **

Warmth. Soothing warmth like I've never felt before. Then a sound like the tinkling of bells and I slowly began to shift as I naturally sought the sound, even in my groggy state. " _Bella_." I groaned softly, shifting the opposite direction as a new sound penetrated my sleep-addled thoughts, a beautiful, taunting sound that called to me. " _Bella._ " I had to get to her, to respond, to touch the heavens and exist amongst the angels that were singing to me, only to me.

The cold touch of velvet-soft lips to my cheek had me jerking awake, a gasp leaving my lips as I sat up quickly in--yep, that's not my bed. I blinked my heavy lids, looking around the room blearily, the light pouring in from the heavy drapes covering the window temporarily blinding me. 

"Come on, little darling," there was that angel again, and I took a deep breath of the smell of roses and jasmine and warm honey before meeting the loving smile of my blonde mate. "There you are. Good morning, my love."

I smiled brightly, reaching for her even as I heard the tinkling laughter from my other side. "Good morning, Aphrodite," I murmured sleepily, pulling her in for a slow, gentle kiss. When we eventually parted, I sighed happily before my gaze sought out my other goddess. Upon seeing Alice sitting leaning towards me on the other side of the bed, I gave her an equally soft smile and crooked my finger.

She leaned in quickly and brought her lips to mine, a happy squeal pouring out of her as she met my slowly warming enthusiasm in a sweet kiss. " _Bonsoir, mon amour_!" I smiled, delighted at the way her voice rolled beautifully over the French words. 

"Wait," I blinked, looking around in confusion. "Bonsoir? It's evening already? Wait, did I fall asleep?!" _Noooo_! I'd lost half a day with my beautiful mates! 

Rosalie's quiet chuckle was almost drowned out by Alice's giggle. "You're so cute!" I felt Alice's arms wrap around my neck, pulling me back against her as I frowned despondently at Rosalie. "We didn't quite count on how your body would react to being flooded with so many different vampire pheromones. You kind of passed out, but its okay, darling. You only slept for about four hours."

"Four hours?!" I yelped, quickly rubbing at my eyes. "But I'm supposed to be home by 8! We've lost half of our time together!" I whined, seriously debating if I wanted to cry at the injustice of it all.

They were both laughing at my misery and I forced a pout, my arms crossing over my chest for maximum effect. "Hey, some of us are mortal here! I don't want to miss a single minute of my time spent with you both."

"Aww," Alice cooed, her voice _purring_ into my ear, causing a tremor to vibrate down my spine for a second. "We will have all the time in the world together, _mon coeur_. I promise you that."

"Besides," Rosalie added, and I hadn't even noticed her move before she was suddenly _very_ close, her gaze heated as she stared down at me. "We're here together now, aren't we?"

I swallowed, not sure if I wanted to lean forward into Rosalie or curl further into Alice's arms as her hands moved down to my waist, her cold fingers teasing the exposed skin where my sweater had ridden up. "Kiss me," I whispered, desperation filling my voice.

Rosalie hadn't quite finished groaning when her lips were suddenly on mine, and _damn_ did I miss this feeling since last night. My whole body felt electrified, my skin tingling everywhere their bodies made contact with mine. Then Rosalie's tongue was licking across my bottom lip, asking for entry that I quickly gave as my lips parted. Now I was the one groaning, the sound coming out eager as I tasted the blonde vampire for the first time that day. 

Alice wasn't just sitting idle, either, her hands sliding ice-cold heat across my abdomen as she explored more of my skin there. I could feel her lips leaving feather-light kisses across my neck and I swear I was so insanely aroused I wouldn't be surprised if the whole house smelled it.

That thought made me pulled back with a gasp, my breathing heavy. "What about your family?"

Rosalie's onyx-hued gaze flashed and I swear I felt my heart skip a beat as her voice rumbled from her chest. "If they know what's good for them, they've already left the vicinity and are well on their way to another country for all I care." 

I whimpered as I felt Alice's lips ghosting across my exposed shoulder where my sweater hung loose. "I can guarantee you we won't be disturbed by our family, my love. I'm a seer, you know?" Her tinkling giggle brought a smile to my face, which was almost instantly replaced with a gasp as her fingers slid teasingly along the waistband of my pants. 

_Oh gods!_ We were alone. We were guaranteed to _remain_ alone for as long as we wanted, according to my mates. Was this really happening, right here and now? I couldn't think of anything I wanted more than to belong to the both of them in all ways, but was this really going to happen _right now_?!

My phone ringing was almost a blessing in disguise as I felt my panic mounting. I searched my pockets as it began vibrating, the obnoxious default ringtone chiming a stupid melody that irritated me just enough to make me rush in answer it. "Hello?"

 _"Hey, Bella, it's Charlie,"_ his voice sounded far away, like he was yelling down a tunnel. _"Bella, can you hear me?"_

"Yeah," I replied, raising my voice so he could hopefully hear me. "What's wrong?" After all, he knew where I was spending my time, I doubt he would interrupt that without good reason. _Considering where we were just heading, I think my dad just saved my virtue_. The thought almost made me laugh out loud.

 _"I just wanted to let you know that I have to go out of town for a few days."_ Static filled the air for a moment before Charlie's voice sounded closer to the phone. _"I'm already on the road. There's been more animal attacks and the park rangers are tracking them heading towards Forks so me and some of my deputies have volunteered to come out and help them hopefully intercept the beasts before they get any closer."_

"Are you sure that's safe?" I asked, my voice shaking with emotion as I thought of all the things that could go wrong. We may not have been reunited for long but I loved my dad and I don't know what I would do with myself if something happened to him. 

_"We'll be fine, Bells."_ The sound of his usual cocky voice was soothing as he continued, _"But I don't know when I'll be back in town, so I was wondering if Dr. and Mrs. Cullen wouldn't mind watching after you for the rest of the weekend."_

I had to pull the phone back and stare at it for a moment before I got control of my thoughts enough to continue the conversation. "You...want me to stay with the Cullens while you're out of town?"

 _"I mean,"_ he went on, clearly uncomfortable with the subject, _"You're a big girl, you're almost eighteen, but I didn't want to leave you home alone like that without giving you the option. And you know I trust Dr. Cullen. I'm sure between him and his wife, and those girls you're dating, they can keep you out of trouble for a few days."_

I couldn't help but smirk, looking back and forth between said girlfriends who were still intimidatingly close. If he hadn't called, I'm more than certain they would be taking _very_ good care of me at this very moment. Just the thought was enough to send a jolt of desire through me, drawing twin inhales from my mates, telling me more than anything that I'd just be found out. 

With a sheepish smile to the girls, I pulled the phone back pointedly. "Do you think your parents will mind me staying over for a few days?" Like I didn't already know the answer.

"Oh, I can guarantee it," Rosalie rumbled, her voice having lost none of its aroused husk from earlier. 

Alice nodded from her place at my back. "I can _specifically_ guarantee it," she giggled with a smile, nuzzling into the side of my neck. 

I had to bite my lip to stifle the groan that wanted to escape my lips, pulling the phone back to my ear. "Yeah, dad, they won't have a problem with me staying." 

There was a pause from the other end of the line before Charlie continued the awkward conversation. _"I'm not going to tell you to behave. I was a teenager once myself, but, well...I guess I don't need to tell you to be safe, do I?"_

I choked on my next breath as Alice fought to suppress a cackle of delight, Rosalie's smirk turning damn near feral as she obviously thought of all the ways she'd like to keep me _safe_. I imagine restraints and lots of nudity were involved. "Dad!" I eventually yelped into the phone, Charlie's laughter making me blush even harder. "You're hilarious, Charlie! I'm hanging up now!"

His laughter followed me even as I pressed the End Call button, throwing my phone to the side as I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff. Alice was giggling her adorable little head off while Rosalie rumbled with her signature chuckle. "You're both going in the dog house if you don't stop laughing." 

"We don't have a dog house, _Isabella_ ," and yep, the way she drawls out the sound of my full name was still stupid effective.

"You know what I mean!" I argued, pouting through the shaking coming from Alice's delightful laughter. "You're both being mean."

Finally, it seemed Alice was getting control of her laughter again, her hands wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against her again. "Oh, _ma belle_ , you're so damn cute when you're embarrassed." And, predictably, there goes my face flushing with even more heat. 

"Well," I sniffed, lifting my chin as I stared at the far wall, "Seeing as my _father_ ruined the mood," I was glaring now just thinking of lost opportunities and the mostly silent echoing thought of _holy shit, am I ready_? "My girlfriends should find a better way to entertain me than to continue attempting to embarrass me."

I don't think I was fooling either of them, but the quieting of their laughter and the sudden hug I was pulled into by Alice calmed my nerves at least to some degree. "Don't worry, _ma belle_ ," she assured, her voice playful yet direct. "While we may have devious designs for that sinful little body of yours--" Rosalie, of course, chose that moment to chuckle deep enough to send heat shooting through me "--we also have chaste desires as well. We were, in fact, talking about taking you up into the mountains with us so you can get used to our vampiric abilities that we have to normally hide."

My brows quirked up curiously as I looked back and forth between Rosalie who was still sitting in front of me, and Alice who was looking around me from where she was braced at my back. "Really? So, you basically wanna show off to the poor little human?"

Alice's Cheshire grin was answer enough for me. "Alright," I nodded, patting Rosalie's legs so she'd move to let me up. Only, instead of getting up out of my way, she turned and sat with her back facing me. 

"Climb on," she said, her mesmerizing voice enticing me to move even before I realized what she was asking. 

"You want me to...climb on your back?" I questioned, feeling skeptical despite my knowledge of their indomitable strength.

"Yep!" she popped the _p_ hard, her gaze turning challenging. "Unless you're afraid."

"Pshh!" I laughed aloud for good measure, puffing up my false bravado while simultaneously freaking out a bit. "Fine, but just so you know, chaos follows me. It is on your head if we wind up running through a tree or something."

I shifted forward until I had my legs resting on either side of her waist, my hands wrapping around her neck. Before I knew it, she was standing up, grabbing and interlocking my ankles, a surprised yelp slipping from me as I clung desperately to her. As expected, she didn't seem fazed by my weight, which really shouldn't have surprised me at this point. 

I expected us to leave through the front door. I was learning that these two women will and probably always would exceed my expectations at every single opportunity. When Alice moved towards the floor-to-ceiling window and slid it open, Rosalie followed her out onto their balcony. 

"Um, girls, I don't know what you're thinking of doing but I think _weeeeeee_ \--" before I could even take a breath, we were sailing through the air out into the clearing around the house. We landed with a slight jolt, more probably to do with my weight than any actual lack of grace on their part. Still....

" _What the fuck were you thinking?!_ " I shouted, my voice screeching right into Rosalie's ear, causing the girl to flinch. "Human passenger here, _human passenger!_ " 

"Calm yourself, little darling," Rosalie rumbled in a voice I'd only ever heard on occasions where she was either excited or angry. When she turned her head to look at me over her shoulder, I decided on _excitement_ as her reason for sounding that way when her black-eyed gaze met mine, that sexy little smirk of hers setting fire to my body. 

"We're going to be moving fast now, Bella," Alice was explaining, and I tried my hardest to focus on her voice rather than the heat pulsing while trying to keep my groin from riding Rosalie's backside where my thighs were braced. "If you feel dizzy or nauseous, let us know and we'll take breaks. It might help if you close your eyes. We've never done this with a human before." 

I took a deep, fortifying breath before I tightened my hold around Rosalie's neck. "Alright, ladies, I expect to shocked and awed! Show me what you've got!" _I'm going to die._

Rosalie's widening grin pretty much confirmed my last thought. "Hang on tight, little darling." And before I could even draw enough breath to scream, we were moving through the woods at speeds I'd never even contemplated. 

Trees whipped by so dizzyingly fast that I eventually did have to close my eyes if only to save myself from throwing up all over my beautiful girlfriend, who seemed to have made it her personal goal in life to push my human body to its limits. Now all I could hear was the rushing of wind as my ladies ran through the forests, their footfalls surprisingly quiet even amongst the wet underbrush. It only went on this way for minutes but I knew that we had already covered more ground than any ATV ever could have in the same time. A shift in my orientation caused me to open my eyes only to see that we were already beginning to ascend the beginnings of the nearby mountains. 

_How fucking fast are they moving?!_ It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I'd never ridden a roller coaster, but I imagined it wouldn't even come close to comparing to the elation of literally ghosting across the forest floor. It was like we were flying, they were moving so fast, their feet so agile that I barely felt connected to the ground. I swear, if Rosalie hadn't had such a tight hold on my legs that were wrapped around her waist, I might have floated away. 

"This way," I heard Alice call over the sounds of rushing wind, and the two vampires seemed to turn as one, racing straight towards an imposing cliff face. We were coming up on it fast and I had to close my eyes at the last second when it looked like we were going to smash right into it, only for the ground to fall away from me as Rosalie's arms left my legs. 

I chanced a look through my slitted eyes only to have them widen in amazement. The two women were _scaling_ the _cliff_ bare-fucking-handed! Their hands scrabbling at the seemingly flat surface sounded more like tiny echoes of thunder, small scratching sounds following as their fingers literally _ripped_ handholds out of the stone face as if it were mud. 

We reached the top of the cliff within seconds, soaring upwards a ways over the ledge until they both landed evenly to reveal a large outcropping of flat area. "I saw this spot in a vision," Alice explained, turning to smile happily at me. 

I don't know what she saw in my face but her happy grin crumbled as she rushed over to Rosalie's side. "Oh darling, it's okay," she cajoled, reaching for my hands that were caught together in a death grip around Rosalie's neck. I swear, if she hadn't been a vampire, I'd have snapped her head off by now. 

_I still just might try it!_ My whole body was tense, frozen in place even though we were at a standstill now. I might have snapped at the both of them but my teeth were clenched so hard that I couldn't open my mouth if I wanted to.

Alice's cold fingers began prying at mine, slowly working them loose. As soon as I released that hold, I was gripping onto Rosalie's shoulders, practically shredding her blouse. "Come on, Bella, you can let go now." 

_No, Alice, I really can't._

Alice stopped for a moment, staring at me with a considering look on her face before she grinned deviously at me. Before I could ask, she moved into my space and pulled me into a searing kiss that was simultaneously cold and fiery hot, her tongue delving between the seam of my lips and drawing a moan from somewhere in my chest. The action had the desired effect of making me release my hold on Rosalie, but now I was gripping the sides of Alice's face and devouring her delectable mouth as if it could be my last. 

_If they pull another stunt like that, it may just be my last because my heart is going to give out!_ Still, I was not going to look a gift Alice in the mouth, at least not while it was preoccupied with my own. Slowly, I felt my legs loosening until I was sliding down from my perch atop Rosalie's back. My legs decided that was enough, though, since the next thing I knew I was sinking to the ground. My only saving grace was that Alice's grip quickly shifted to cradle me to her while Rosalie turned, her hands joining Alice's to hold me up while I felt like jelly.

 _"Did we overdo it?"_ I heard whispering, and I'm pretty sure it was Alice, but I couldn't quite get my brain to focus enough to comprehend it. 

_"Maybe a little,"_ was Rosalie's murmured answer, and I finally took in a deep, gasping breath, my eyes widening in alarm as I looked around to take in my surroundings. 

" _Maybe a little_?!" I screeched, only to pause at the majestic view around us. We were near the top of one of the nearby mountains and I could see the forest go on for miles. I'd only ever seen something like this in nature magazines and documentaries and I have to say it was breathtaking. Except for the fact that my breath had been taken by the absolute terror of riding my girlfriend's back up a bloody mountain!

"Aww," Alice pouted, her voice taking on that sexy little tone that could do dangerous things to my willpower, "But if we hadn't hurried up here, then you might have missed this." Without further explanation, the two women slowly slipped their arms from around me and took a few steps away.

I was seconds away from demanding an answer to their cryptic bullshit when the clouds began to shift. This high up, the sunlight filtered through easily, casting a peel of its rays across the entire cliff face. And I swear by all that is holy, unholy, and everything in between, I about fainted at what I saw before me. 

They were _glowing_! Well, not glowing, per say. But every single inch of skin that the sun touched of their beautiful bodies shined like so many stars and moons and starbursts, things no mere mortal should behold yet here I was, basking in the infinite beauty of my own personal goddesses. 

_"Magnifique..."_ I hadn't even realized the sound came from me until Alice's giggle broke the spell I was under. "Gods, you're so...there aren't words enough in any language to adequately describe just how beautiful you both are." I know my mouth was hanging open, that I was staring like a besotted idiot, but what the hell else can you expect from me? Higher brain functions were simply a non-issue at this point. 

"This is why we can't be seen when the sun is out," Rosalie explained, unnecessarily I might add. 

"Yeah," I whispered, afraid to speak any louder for fear of shattering this wondrous event. "I get it. Can't have the humans having heart attacks left and right because their poor mortal eyes cannot comprehend the magnificence of your beauty. On an unrelated note, how's my heart sound right now?"

"Perfect," Alice answered, her voice taking on a more bashful tone, her grin just as shy as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. "You're so perfect."

"Indeed," came Rosalie's agreement, her voice almost reverent as they peered back at me with just as much wonder, and for a moment I was mystified by what they could possibly see that could bring those looks to their eyes. "You're so beautiful. Your hair...even we couldn't see how deep the color ran. You're so gorgeous, our Bella."

"Our Bella," whispered Alice, and slowly as if afraid I might blow away on the wind they reached for me. I went to them willingly, happily, devastatingly blinded by the sheer love I felt in that moment. 

"I'm nervous," I murmured suddenly, and it was only up here in our own little space that I felt like I could say what had been on my mind. "Being with you both is something beautiful, something so very precious, that I still feel like I might wake up any minute now. This is like a dream--you're both a dream that I've been chasing for most of my life and now you're here and you're with me and... _I don't know what to do_! I don't know what I'm doing."

Gods, I hope they understood what I was saying, because I don't even think that made sense to me. Apparently, they did, judging by the loving, understanding smiles they gave me as I was pulled into them, their arms surrounding me in a soothing embrace. "Bella," Rosalie murmured, pulling away just enough so that I could meet her gaze, "We love you, little darling. Nothing in the world could change that, especially not the pace of our physical relationship. We're more than willing to slow this down if you need us to."

I winced, taking a deep breath before clinging tighter to them. "I want you both, so much. But I've, um...I've never been intimate with anyone, nothing more than kissing and fumbling around over clothes. And you two are intimidatingly beautiful, and you're vampires who probably have far more experience than me-- _no offense_ \--and I don't want to disappoint--"

"Shhh," Alice murmured, cutting off my slowly degrading jumble of words that could hardly be mistaken for speech. "We get it, _ma belle_. We understand." She pulled away, her cool fingers alighting on my chin and gently pulling me up to meet her loving gaze. "We never meant to make you feel pressured. I can't lie to you, our instincts are urging us to claim you in every way we can. But we are _not_ our instincts, and we can resist them for as long as you need us to. Just tell us what you need, okay?"

I forced myself to take a couple of deep breaths, fighting back the instinctual panic that wanted to rise up. Part of me had expected them to be angry, to be upset with me for worrying about the physicality of our relationship, but here they were once again proving every misconception I had about love wrong. They were far too perfect for their own good!

"I love kissing you both," I replied simply, taking another slow breath. "I think I might actually die if I can't kiss you both. And I don't mind going further, touching and exploring, but I don't...well, like I said, I've never gone further than that and I..." I bit my lips before forcing out the rest of my sentence, "I want our first time together to be special, to be perfect."

The air was suddenly filled with a low rumbling sound, followed quickly by a second one, and I had to blink several times before looking around, my eyes eventually settling on the two women. "Are...are you two _purring_?" 

The sounds cut off abruptly before both girls shifted awkwardly. "Sorry." Alice's voice, when _she_ was feeling shy was adorable, but hearing that tone from Rosalie now was absolutely heart-stoppingly precious. "We just...we do that sometimes when we're feeling content. We don't have to if it bothers."

"Oh don't you fucking dare stop," I laughed along as the two vampires giggled, "I swear that was the cutest thing I've ever heard and I think I might just cry if I don't hear it again." Almost on cue, the purring started up again and I found myself giggling along with Alice's tinkling laughter. "What made you suddenly start purring, though?" Seriously, I hadn't thought what I'd said would garner that kind of response, but I was finding that there was a lot I still had yet to learn about vampires.

"You just..." Rosalie Hale, _uncertain_ , was a sight to behold. "You're just so absolutely perfect to us. You're so understanding, so loving, and just...we love you."

"We love you so much!" Alice cried, her voice heavy with emotion as she pulled me tight against her. "Here you are, mated to two vampires and you've overcome every single obstacle that you meet. You talk about how you don't feel like you're enough for us, but it is we who don't feel worthy of you. You're just...so damn precious!"

Unable to stop myself--as if I ever would--I pulled back just enough to pull her face to mine in a desperate kiss that was filled with tears and grinning and laughter, and before I could even take a breath, I was being pulled to Rosalie to repeat the entire experience. I guess that was something I was going to have to get used to, experiencing life in twos. 

_I can definitely get used to that._


	9. Chapter 9: A Mother's Love

**(AN at the bottom)**

** Bella **

"So, what else can vampires do?" I asked nearly half an hour later after returning to the Cullen home. Our journey back through the forest was slower but no less intense, if for no other reason than the simple fact that I spent the trip once again clinging on to Rosalie's back for dear life. We were sitting together on a couch in their vast living room, with myself conveniently located between my mates. I was currently leaning back into Rosalie's chest while my legs rested across Alice's lap, knowing the girls would be comfortable in any position.

It was Alice who answered, since she seemed to be taking on the role of vampiric spokesperson at this point. "Well, you've seen that we're impossibly fast and strong. Our skin is nearly impenetrable; the only thing that can harm our bodies is other vampires. It also is nearly impossible to truly kill one of our kind. The only way to kill a vampire is to dismember them so that their venom is exposed, and igniting them with fire."

I blinked, wide-eyed as I took that in. "So you _are_ immortal? I kind of assumed as much from myths but I never actually thought about it in depth."

Alice nodded while Rosalie hummed against my back. "Our venom is what makes us so susceptible to fire," Alice continued. "For some reason it is highly combustible and once igniting it will burn until the entirety of the body is ash." I didn't like that thought. I had kinda gotten used to my two beautiful mates being indestructible, a permanent fixture in my life, so the idea that something as simple as an open flame could cause their demise really put things into perspective. 

Rosalie's arms hugged me close to her as she no doubt sensed the change in my mood. "We're not going anywhere, darling," she murmured into my ear, causing another one of those shivers to shoot down my spine. "It doesn't matter if we're torn to pieces, our limbs can be reattached and with a little blood we'll be good as new."

I took a deep, shuddering breath before nodding. "I just hate to think of either of you being hurt like that. And then I realize how hypocritical that is when you have a delicate little human as your mate. You've obviously gotten short end of the stick here."

I jerked and yelped as Alice began tickling my exposed feet, forcing me to attempt to shuffle away from her. "You watch it," Alice grumbled, her glare not quite reaching her eyes. "Our mate is perfect and we will not have you saying anything to the contrary." She stuck her tongue out for good measure, which was entirely unnecessary since I could always tell when Alice--the queen of teasing--was play-acting. 

I did giggle a little once she'd stopped attacking my feet, swatting at her arm ineffectually. "It is not contrary when it is the truth. I am a human and compared to your kind, I am extremely breakable."

Alice's eyes seemed to flash with some emotion as she looked over my head to meet Rosalie's gaze as they shared some unspoken words. When whatever they were trying to communicate to each other had passed, it was Rosalie who eventually spoke, her voice purposefully casual in a way that was way too obvious. 

"Well, what if you weren't? Human, that is?" 

I felt my heart stutter, as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me. "You mean...so like," I paused, clearing my throat as I forced myself to speak clearly, "Can you actually turn others? Into vampires?" I added, unnecessarily.

I was staring at Alice while my suddenly trembling hands were clasped onto Rosalie's arms around my waist. "Yes," the pixie vampire nodded, "Vampires cannot produce offspring in any fashion, but our venom is capable of forcing humans to undergo what we call the Change."

"It is an excruciating experience," Rosalie added, voice somber. "It is as if liquid fire has been poured into your veins and spreads out until it encompasses the human's entire body. The transformation takes at least three days and is pain unlike anything you could ever imagine."

"But," Alice countered, voice upbeat in a way that only she could pull off, "Once the Change is finished and your heart beats its last beat, you will awaken to a world unlike anything you ever knew before. Your senses will heightened to incredible magnitudes, and since your human blood is fueling your newborn body, you will be far stronger than even older vampires like myself and Rosalie."

"You'll also be dangerous," Rosalie cut in, and I had no doubt she was glaring at Alice as they seemed to be pulling and back-and-forth pros and cons description of the Change over my head. "A newborn's strength is matched only by their thirst. Their lust for blood makes them extremely dangerous to any nearby humans, and cannot, in fact, be allowed to be around other humans until they are able to get their thirst under control. The first year of a newborn's life is a chaotic and oftentimes emotionally traumatic experience." 

Alice was grumbling, looking put out at her sister's adherence to the cons of the subject, but I just laughed and waved her off. "It's okay, Alice. I get why Rosalie is being a brat and hyping up the negatives," I turned to Rosalie with a grin, meeting her black eyes without hesitation before turning back to lay against her comfortably again. "But regardless, I can't say eternity with you both hasn't crossed my mind."

I noticed and felt both women's breath cease at my words, and it was then that I realized they hadn't been sure if I would accept the idea of being turned. I think if I had asked it of them, they would have let me remain human for as long as I wanted, and the thought of my eventual death and their being forced to live on without me hurt my soul in a way nothing ever could. 

"I refuse," I began softly, voice gaining strength as I shifted to sit between the girls normally, "to let you both live on without me. Just imagining a life where you both don't exist is enough to torment my heart, so I can't imagine how it would be for you both to watch me age and die. Besides," I smirked, turning in time to gaze at both of them before laying my hands out palms up, their hands fitting into mine almost instantly, "I imagine once I'm turned there won't be any reasons for either of you to have to hold back any more."

Rosalie's rumbling growl and gently tightening fingers, followed by Alice's rough groan had a predictable wave of heat shooting through me. "But, be that as it gay," I added, smiling, "I don't think I want to be turned until after I graduate. How does that sound to you both?"

Both girls shifted forward in the seats so they could peer at one another across my lap, their eyes communicating in ways words simply couldn't hold a candle to. Eventually, whatever they both saw in one another's eyes settled both of their gazes into soft, loving smiles that they directed my way.

"You understand," Rosalie nodded, sounding almost reluctant to bring it up, "That once you're turned, you will have to disappear. We're not technically allowed to let humans know of our existence--it's actually one of our most stringent laws. And there won't be any way that the humans here won't recognize the significant change in you once you've been turned. And there's also the fact that you'll want to eat your former friends."

I chuckled at the image that came to mind, thinking of me with a black cloak and comically long fangs, even though I now know that to be another stereotype. "I understand, and I think having the rest of this school year to really get used to the idea of having to say goodbye to Charlie will help with it, but I'm entirely serious when I say I want to commit to you both for eternity, consequences be damned."

Their eyes were instantly watery and I could have sworn they were on the verge of tears but they never fell. "We can't cry like you," Alice commented, and I swear I felt like _she_ was the mind-reader sometimes with how easily she read me. "Our eyes are covered in a protective lens and venom fills our eyes to keep them from drying out, but they can never fall as tears."

I nodded and I tightened my hold on their hands. I loved these two infinitely beautiful creatures with every part of my being and if I had to burn for three days to guarantee our time would be unending, then I was more than willing to stay the course. Eventually, though, my curiosity got the better of me. "So how did you two become vampires?"

Both girls were quiet for so long after my question that I was afraid I had offended then. "That's a heavy question," Alice eventually replied, her normally upbeat voice filled with sadness. "You see, most turnings aren't done under the most ideal circumstances."

"Carlisle specifically will only turn someone if they would otherwise die," Rosalie said, voice stoic in a way that pulled at my heart strings. "Edward, for instance, was dying of Spanish influenza back in 1918. Carlisle turned him and has looked after him as his son ever since."

"My full name is Mary Alice Brandon," my pixie goddess continued, her voice somber in a reserved way I hadn't heard before. "I wasn't turned by Carlisle. You see, unlike most vampires, I don't have any memories of my human life. From the digging I was able to do, I found out that I had spent the last year of my human life in a mental institution in Biloxi, Mississippi, sometime around 1920. Apparently, even as a human I had had visions of the future, but they were explained away as hallucinations." She paused, sighing as she shifted uncomfortably though I knew physically the action was unnecessary. "Carlisle suspects electroshock therapy is responsible for my missing memories."

She paused again and I could see her struggling with the weight of her missing past. "You don't have to continue." I honestly wasn't sure I could handle a sad Alice for much longer without crying myself.

She shook her head, a sad smile twisting her lips. "It's okay," she murmured. "You deserve to know everything about us." She cleared her throat, again unnecessarily, before she continued. "I was turned by a vampire that, to this day, I don't know who he was, and left to fend for myself for years after. Eventually, my visions led me to Jasper, and in turn led us to join the Cullens."

"It was kind of hilarious, now that I think back on it," Rosalie smirked playfully. "There we were, sitting around one day and this little pipsqueak comes out of nowhere, knowing all of our names and telling us how she's been looking for us and that they were going to be a part of our family. She even kicked Edward out of his old room."

Alice's tinkling laughter filled the air, lightening the mood. "Oh he was so pissed, but Jasper just kind of shrugged and started moving his furniture out. It took a while to calm the drama queen down, but once he took a peek inside my head he realized the inevitable."

Another one of those heat-inducing chuckles left Rosalie's throat as she peered across the space above me at Alice, the delicate vampire practically preening. "Yes, you were most definitely an inevitability." She turned back to where I sat comfortably between them. "You've never known petulance until you've seen a psychic who's been told 'no'."

Alice's raspberry she blew at Rosalie was like some kind of ironic punctuation to the blonde's statement that had me laughing freely on the couch. "Hey!" she exclaimed, and I couldn't help but lean up and peck a quick kiss to her pouty lips, instantly changing the petite woman's expression to one of immense happiness. "That is entirely unfair, you know."

I grinned, staring up at her with every ounce of love I felt for her shining through my eyes. "I know, and I plan to use it to my advantage every singe chance I get." 

She rolled her eyes playfully before leaning down and pressing her lips to mine in a longer, more thorough kiss. By the time she pulled away, my breathing had increased and I felt slightly lightheaded. "And that," I murmured dizzily, "is just downright devastating in its effectiveness." 

Rosalie's chuckle was just the icing on the cake as I turned my dazed gaze towards her, the beauty leaning closer than she had been before as her fingers ghosted softly down my cheek. "Don't think we're above using every tool in our arsenal to seduce our painfully attractive mate, little darling."

I blinked several times as I tried to force my mind past the heavy cloud of arousal that seemed to be ever-present when dealing with my infinitely beautiful mates. "The deck is already stacked in your favors," I whispered, my own hand rising to cup the blonde's cold cheek. "You have but to speak and I am yours."

It was surprisingly arousing to watching Rosalie's gold eyes dilate to black in an instance. I knew now that it was an indication of their excitement, whether it was for my blood or body seemed almost irrelevant at this point. Seeing the predator in them so visually expressed never failed to cause my heart rate to jump, and I idly wondered if my reaction didn't make it worse on their heightened senses. 

A purring growl from my right drew my gaze to Alice, her matching onyx-hued eyes seeming to pin me in place. "You seem to think that we have some advantage over you, _ma belle_ ," she whispered, her words breathing ice across my lips causing me to gasp. "But it is you who simply need _breathe_ and we are at your mercy."

" _Fuck,_ " I panted, my body clenching at the simple _nearness_ of my mates and their blatant _need_. "Why does this come so easy?" Because holy shit, we went from zero to sex-ty in no time flat and it didn't even to seem to be a conscious effort. 

"That's the beauty of mates," Rosalie's words slid into my ear and down my spine, leaving a vibrating tingle in its wake. "We are made for each other. Our bodies, our minds, our very souls resonate with each other."

"Combine with that," Alice added, "our need to claim you as ours in every way, and you have an explosive relationship that will continue to build in its intensity. And gods how perfect it will be when we reach that peak together." Her salacious wink was not needed but entirely effective at alleviating some of the tension that burned between us, causing me to giggle a bit, relaxing into the back of the couch. 

"Be that as it gay," I said, grinning toothily as I threw her words back at her again, "I want you both to know just how grateful I am for having you and being able to love you like this. You are both a dream I never knew would come true."

I should have expected it, but I was still surprised as I felt both girl's pulling me into a deep embrace between their cool bodies. "Gods," Alice gasped into my neck, her voice thick with emotion, "I never knew you existed and now that we have you I can't imagine a world without you. I love you so much, Bella!"

Rosalie's heartfelt laughter shook my left side as she, too, pressed in close to me. "You are the greatest love that could exist, _Isabella_. I love you. You are our _amaranthine,_ our undying and eternal love." 

The next several minutes passed in silence, my eyes welling with tears that my mates' could not express. "I feel complete when I'm with you two. Like a piece of me has been returned that I didn't even know was missing." 

And I'd be damned if anyone ever threatened that peace. I would burn down the heavens if but to remain with my own personal angels but a minute more. 

A throat being cleared drew us all up short, both girls turning towards the kitchen with twin _hisses_ that sounded so feral I almost felt sorry for whoever had decided to invade our personal space. "You girls knock that off this instance!" I flinched, my eyes widening at not only the demanding tone of Esme's voice but also the fact that both girls immediately silenced. "Now," she went on, and only then was I able to look up over Rosalie's shoulder to see the youthful scowl on Esme's beautiful features. "I am here to inform you that we have been contacted by the Uley Pack."

A low growl from Rosalie's chest had my eyes widening, this sound being much more predatory in its fierceness. "What do those _mutts_ want?" _Mutts?_ _Like dogs?_

"They have called a meeting with the family at the treaty line," Esme replied, seeming to ignore Rosalie's caustic tone. "All we know is that they wish to consider changes to the treaty and..." here her voice trailed off, her brows firming together in a scowl as she continued in a subdued voice, "They wish us to bring our human to the meeting."

I was suddenly wrapped up protectively in Alice's arms while Rosalie leaped to her feet, standing firmly in front of Esme. "Not a chance in hell," she growled, voice so deep it practically vibrated around the room. 

Esme's eyes narrowed, her voice chastising as she continued. "We don't have a choice in the matter. They know we have a human here and they want to ensure we haven't bitten her. If we are to maintain this truce and continue to live in peace, then we have to bring her with us. Besides," she cut in when it seemed like Rosalie was about to interrupt, "If Bella is to be a part of this family, then she will need to meet with the Pack sooner or later."

"Um," I murmured, drawing the black-eyed gazes of all three vampires and I suddenly wished I hadn't opened my mouth. "You keep saying 'Pack' like I'm supposed to know what that means. Are they like a gang, or what?"

Alice's sigh shifted across my neck and it was only then that I realized she hadn't released her protective hold over me. "You've actually already met one of their members," she replied, her voice tense with some strange irritation. "You know the Quileute legends, right? It's how you found out about us?" I nodded, not understanding the subject change but knowing it was important.

It was Esme who continued, her voice much more relaxed than that of my mates. "The Quileutes are shapeshifters who take on the form of wolves. Those who possess the gene begin to shift in the presence of their greatest enemy, vampires. Since our family moved back here two years ago, their tribe has since had ten of its members shift and join their Pack."

"They are filthy animals who live at the mercy of their emotions," Rosalie spat, her voice not losing any of its earlier venom. "Carlisle drew up a peace treaty with the wolves some eighty years ago and we have since had to restrict our movements from going onto their lands. Since we only feed from animals, we are allowed to _coexist_ ," again, she _spat_ the word, "in the area with them so long as we don't feed from or turn any human."

"Yes," Esme sighed, "And for now we have not broken that treaty, but it would seem the wolves do not trust us at our word. Bella," I lifted my head, meeting her mothering gaze, "We will not force you to attend this meeting. But we must _ask_ if you wish to join us as we go to meet them."

I pursed my lips, furrowing my brow as I tried to really think. So not only were vampires real--which I had easily accepted, because you can't date two literal stone goddesses and not believe--but there were a group of shapeshifters that lived on the reservation where my dad visited regularly with his best friend, Billy. 

Then, Alice's earlier words about meeting one hit me as I thought about the younger Black. "Jacob?! He's a, uh, shapeshifter?!" Yeah, did I just attract supernatural creatures like a magnet or was that just my shitty luck remaining true to its nature??

Rosalie turned a small smile my way when she finally settled back onto the bed by my side. "Unfortunately," her voice, while losing none of its ire had turned playful when she addressed me, "Your little friend is actually the direct descendant of Ephraim Black, the Chief Carlisle drew up the original treaty with."

"Huh." Yeah, my life made sense. "So when is this meeting supposed to happen?" Might as well get out in front of this new development. After all, I was dating two blood-drinking immortals and my childhood friend growing up turned into a dog. What else was I supposed to do in this situation?

"Are you certain?" Esme asked, her matronly voice not losing any of its loving cadence. "You don't _have_ to go to this meeting. _You_ have a choice."

I nodded, smiling up at the woman I was quickly coming to think of as a second mother. "Yes, Esme, I understand. I want to go. I mean," I grinned, a teasing tone lilting my voice as I shifted my arms around my mates, "I have these two gorgeous women protecting me. You think some pups could stand against us?"

Esme's smile brightened even as I felt my ladies preen a bit under my statement. "I have a feeling that no one in this entire world could stand up to you, Bella. I'll go tell Carlisle to call up the Pack and set up the meeting for tomorrow. For now, it's getting late and I need to start dinner for you." 

I blinked and the woman was gone, and I seriously needed to get used to that at some point. I wanted to complain about the woman going to such lengths to cook for me, but I had to admit that the lunch she had prepared for me had been delicious and I was actually starving. My rumbling stomach decided that was the ideal moment to let its agreement be known, my mates laughing in time with my embarrassed groan.

"Well, in the meantime," I stood up and began backing my way towards the staircase, a lecherous grin on my lips. "Where were we?"

I only just caught a glimpse of matching onyx-hued eyes before I felt my body being swept up into strong, toned arms. Not even a moment later I was gently being deposited onto my back on their bed, both women positioned on either side with hungry looks in their eyes. Oh yeah, I could get used to this. 

* * *

"Dinner's ready!"

The declaration from somewhere downstairs was met with matching growls from my mates, a groan of my own leaving my throat as they pulled away. Gods they were great kissers. This wasn't just making out, this was basically mouth sex, I swear. So far we hadn't lost any of our clothing, but I could already tell that if we'd gone at it any longer then that would have changed with a quickness.

"I guess we should feed the human," Rosalie said with her signature smirk, her eyes traveling up and down my admittedly disheveled state. I was already in the process of trying to tame the mess they had made of my hair while Alice gave my shirt a quick pull to straighten it out. That didn't mean I was the only one looking halfway sexed up, as both girls were also sporting rather ruffled looks themselves. 

Except on them it just made them all the more attractive for their bedraggled appearances. Not to mention how they both just had to shake out their hair and _poof_ , instant stunning goddesses. It's seriously not fair. "That's not fair," I reiterated out loud, you know, because I'm nothing if not thorough and they deserved to know just how bloody gorgeous they both were.

Alice's chiming laughter tinkled in my ear as she hugged me close for a moment longer. "Oh but we like having you looking like you've just been kissed to within an inch of your life."

"Indeed," Rosalie's rumbling laughter followed Alice's as she slid to the edge of the bed, pulling me reluctantly along after her. "We love showing off the fact that you are _ours_." And of course she just had to growl the word right into my ear the moment I stood up. Luckily I had a convenient voluptuous body to cling to in the meantime considering my legs forgot how to leg. Funny how that worked out, isn't it?

I couldn't help but hum, my lips tracing the graceful line of her neck that I had been worshiping with my tongue and teeth earlier. "Just so long as everyone also knows that you both are _mine_." Stepping up the play a bit, I bit down to punctuate my words, knowing she enjoyed the sensation despite probably not feeling the pressure. _Stupid stone-like skin._

The answering growl from both in front of and behind me was answer enough for me, even as Alice pressed in behind me. "We are most certainly yours, _ma petite_." Of course Alice would decide then was a good time to _purr_ her words into my ear, but at least I was now being held up by both girls. "Alas, Esme is currently yelling at us at subsonic volume, so I think we should get you down before she comes to collect you."

I couldn't help but laugh as both women pulled away from me, the three of us turning to make our way downstairs. "Well, she's not exactly in the wrong here. I cannot be held responsible for the things I do when I'm alone with you two."

Alice's grin was toothy, her eyes sparking with mischief. "Well, if you hurry up we might have time for a repeat performance before it's time for you to sleep."

If I didn't know it would land me flat on my face in a matter of seconds, I would have skipped the rest of the way down the stairs. As it stood, I was able to resist the urge to rush, and even as I settled into my previous seat from earlier this afternoon, I had to remind myself to eat at a normal pace and not inhale the meal. The last thing I needed to do was wind myself up back at the hospital after lodging food in my throat. Warring with the incessant need to ravish my two beautiful mates was a battle I didn't think I would ever truly win.

The meal, which was a full three-course dinner with lasagna as the main course, was absolutely delicious and I didn't hesitate to mention this to Esme on several occasions throughout. "So," I eventually said after settling back into my chair, my body nearly rejecting the massive amounts of food Esme had shoved on me. "When do I get to meet the rest of your family?" 

I had found it kind of odd that I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Edward, Jasper, or Emmett since I'd gotten here. It was Rosalie who answered, simultaneously grabbing a napkin to clean up the mess I'd made of my face while gorging. "Well, they thought it would be best if they went out to do some last-minute hunting. Jasper still has trouble with being around humans, as he's the most recent of our family to convert to the 'vegetarian lifestyle', as we call drinking animal blood."

"Yeah," Alice agreed, adding, "They will be here tomorrow after you wake up. This will give them time to get acclimated to your scent being in the house. Plus, the mixing of our scents will help Rosalie and I keep from tearing their heads off if they get too close."

My eyes widened at that. I knew they were territorial and possessive, but I didn't realize it went that deep for them. "I feel like I'm making your family's lives more and more difficult by the day."

"Oh pish!" Esme chided, her voice stern. "You've completed our two ladies here and for that we will only ever be grateful to you. If it means having to make certain concessions to ensure your safety in the meantime, then so be it."

I felt my shoulders rising up to my ears again but I couldn't help it. They were all so amazing and so damn accommodating. Most humans I knew would never be so accepting of a relationship like ours, yet here they were making every effort to keep me safe and comfortable. I wasn't at all surprised when tears once again filled my eyes, but I was pretty proud of myself that I was able to keep them from falling. 

"Thank you," I whispered fervently, blinking hastily to clear my vision. "You have no idea how much it means to me to have such a supportive family. My own mother would rather cast me aside to run around the country with her new husband, ignoring her 'faulty' daughter. She shipped me off to live with my dad without so much as a hug goodbye. And you've just accepted me with open arms and I--"

Shit, now I was actually crying. As soon as the first tear fell, I was suddenly surrounded by the female vampires of the Cullen family. _Deja vu_ , I thought idly, the comforting scents of my mates and their mother figure lulling me into a more relaxed state. At least I didn't immediately pass out this time. 

"Oh, honey," Esme was murmuring into my hair from where she was pressing kisses. "You are not faulty or broken or anything of the like. You are a wonderful young woman who has the biggest heart I have ever seen. You love so freely and without reservation. Do you know how rare that is for this day and age? You are a gift, Bella!"

Her words only made me cry harder, crushing the Cullen matriarch to me in what would have normally been a painful hug. That's another point for vampires, they can take whatever you dish out and I needed to cling. I couldn't help feeling safe and loved, both by my mates and by this woman who had taken me in without a single complaint. 

"I-I wish you were my mom," I whispered, the painful truth falling from my lips making me cringe and attempt to pull away. I hadn't meant to say that out loud! 

I didn't get far, as Esme's hold tightened to just this side of being painful. "Oh, you little darling," she pulled away just enough that she could look down at my more than likely disheveled face, "Even if you hadn't been mated to my girls here, I would still gladly accept you into our family. You are just as much my daughter as they are and that is not because of anything you have done, but by simply being who you are."

Well fuck, I thought I had been getting my tears under control, then she says something like that. I could feel my face crumble once again as my tears took over once again. She really was the mom that no one deserves, least of all me, but this family just keeps on surprising me at every single turn. 

Eventually, my tears did slow until they finally ran out, small hiccups shaking my shoulders as I rested between the three women. "Thank you," I murmured against Esme's shoulder. "Did you...Did you mean it?" I couldn't help but ask. I had never had the best parents in the world and I'd already been tossed aside once. I don't think I could go through it again, especially not with this family. It might just kill me.

"Of course, dear," Esme readily answered, her warm tone so full of love that I couldn't help but smile up at her when I raised my head to meet her own watery gaze. "From this day forward, consider yourself a Cullen in all but name. Besides," she added, voice turning teasing, "I'm sure my other daughters here will take care of changing your name for us." She winked, and I felt myself blushing through my already puffy cheeks. Did she just say her daughters were going to marry me? I don't think that's legal.

Alice's tinkling laughter drew my gaze. "Don't worry," she said cheekily, "You'll find that we can get away with quite a few things when one of your family can see the future." 

I nearly squeaked, wishing I could hide my face again, but Esme had already pulled too far away. "Now, girls, don't overwhelm your mate. There will be plenty of time for that discussion down the line." She patted me on my shoulder, her cool touch soothing. "Now, are you sure you're full, honey? There's plenty more food where that came from."

"I'm fine, mom," the word was out of my mouth before I could reign it in and in a panic I raised my hands to my mouth as I stared wide-eyed at the woman.

Esme's body went impossibly still and for a second I feared the worst. That is, until the woman burst with a squeal, moving faster than the eye could track until she had her arms once again secure around my shoulders. Her unique scent of hot cocoa and vanilla flooded my senses, and it wasn't long before I felt myself sagging into her embrace once again. There was just something so endearing about the woman that broke down all my instinctual resistances. Renee's hugs had never felt like this before, and that in itself told me more than anything that I was meant for this family. 

_Isabella Marie Cullen._ I kinda liked the ring of that. 

* * *

**AN: Wanted to put this at the bottom to keep from cluttering up the chapter. So this chapter took a while to get out because I'm currently going through a lot of the things written in here. Not only do I suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, but also severe PTSD, and I've recently made the decision to cut my mother out of my life for good.**

**I lived a rough life growing up and my mother was hardly a mother to me. She was flighty and always either high or drunk, so in many ways she's an abusive version of Renee in my mind. My therapist says that I put myself into my stories in different ways and this story definitely shows that.**

**Not only was my mom a shitty mom, but I also am polyamorous and kinda gave up on the concept of loving more than one person. A little backstory, my partner and I have been together for 10 years and have never once looked back. We ran away together after 3 weeks of dating and we are most certainly soulmates. They are my Agape Love, the source of all my love that overflows unto others.**

**So imagine my surprise when I started writing this and developed Bella's character based on polyamory. I'll also admit that this story was in no way planned out beyond the concept of Alice's vision of sharing a mate with Rosalie. Everything I've written up until the last chapter was created on the spot. I do have a few things I want to have happen in this story now, but when I started this I had no idea where I'd really go with it.**

**And now the bad news. I have no idea how often I'm going to be updating from here. My original thought was every Monday night, because when I started writing this I was pumping out the chapters and they were HUGE chapters. In fact, I think this chapter is the shortest of this story so far.**

**Semi-good news: I have another fic I'm working on in the meantime that I have over 25k words written on it but I don't plan to publish it until I'm close to finished with it. It is, admittedly, a smut-centric fic that I was inspired to write because I got tired of blue-beaning the ladies in Once Mated lol. It is basically BellaxHarem and it is SPICEY.**

**I also have two other fic ideas for the Twilight universe, one of which I have actually started writing about a month ago but its development is slow-going. The other idea will probably be a large one-shot, but we'll see.**

**All that being said, I'm now using Twitter to keep everyone up-to-date on my stories here, so if you want to be informed of updates or delays, or just general announcement from me, please add my account @AuthorArielRose and look out for Tweets from me in the future.**

**That's all for now, I just wanted to end with a big thank you to everyone who has stood by me during this affair. I appreciate you all, from the likes and favs to the Reviews. Some of you have pointed out a few errors I've made along the way and I've done my best to correct them, so if you see anything else that might need fixing please don't hesitate to call it out.**


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